Sanctuary
by Freddie23
Summary: Prince Legolas arrives in Rivendell with a major surprise for Lord Elrond, but as so often, things do not run smoothly for either. With danger and prejudice from all angles, can the future parents rise to the challenge? M-preg. COMPLETE.
1. The Place I Call Home

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****Yes this is an m-preg, as in male pregnancy. I know anatomically it is impossible in the real world but I like the idea (mainly for the Legolas suffering that goes with it). Please, if you are dead set against this kind of thing then don't read then complain that you weren't warned.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created. Promise.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 1 ~ The Place I Call Home**

**OIOI**

"Just a few more leagues, mellon nin, I promise," Legolas Greenleaf, son of Thranduil, King of the Woodland Realm of Mirkwood, urged his exhausted steed onwards through the night. He could no longer recall how many nights they had travelled like this. At first he had stopped his horse at dusk, allowing the faithful stallion to rest at night, even if his master could not. But in the past few nights, as they had neared their intended destination, a kind of fevered desperation took over the Elf and all he could think about was the possible safety and security of what he had always considered to be his true home. His steed, although exhausted from the relentless pace, carried on, wanting onto to convey his master to safety.

In truth, Legolas himself was starting to tire and feel the effects of too long without rest and yet he pushed onwards.

Their pace couldn't be maintained forever though and even his strong Elven war horse had had too much and he stumbled, very nearly sending his rider flying forwards. Legolas managed to catch himself and kept on the horse's back but this was further evidence that they simply couldn't keep this up so he patted the neck of his faithful steed.

"All right, mellon nin. Time to rest, I think." Stifling a groan, Legolas slowly and carefully slid off the horse's back and planted his feet on the ground for the first time in days. He felt surprisingly shaky as he led the horse over to the river to drink.

After drinking down a little cool, fresh water, Legolas moved to sit under a near-by tree and leaned back against its broad trunk. He watched as his mount turned from the water and started grazing on the riverbank, trying to regain enough energy to complete the journey. Legolas himself did nothing but watch. He couldn't remember the last time he had properly eaten anything. Other than a few berries he had managed to pick off the winter-destroyed bushes he had eaten very little. He carried no supplies and simply couldn't summon up the energy to go hunting. At the moment, though, the mere thought of food made his stomach churn ominously and he closed his eyes against the nausea until it passed.

Pulling his thin cloak around him, Legolas shifted in an attempt to get more comfortable. He suddenly felt so cold. Elves shouldn't feel the cold but now he was sat still, Legolas found himself shivering. Starting a fire would require that he get up and that really didn't seem like a viable option right then. At the moment, he didn't think he could drag himself to his feet. So he sat there shivering, wishing he had a blanket or thicker cloak. Wishing, however, would not make it so, he thought grimly. Sighing, he tried to shut his mind off. A couple of hours' sleep wouldn't hurt. Minutes later, Legolas opened his eyes when he sensed something heavy fall to the ground beside him. He looked up to find his faithful friend lying right before him, close enough to offer some warmth and protection to his Elven companion.

"Hannon le, mellon nin," Legolas whispered, patting his horse. He closed his eyes again and willed sleep to take him.

The pale light of dawn woke the Prince of Mirkwood. Surely he had managed to rest for more than a couple of hours. Rubbing his hands down his face, Legolas looked around the misty riverbank and could just about make out the lone figure of his horse on the flat grass, grazing. Whistling softly, Legolas called the horse over to him and the now well-rested steed immediately trotted over to him. He bent his neck down and nuzzled his master gently. "All right, mellon nin. Time to go to Rivendell," Legolas smiled weakly, reaching around the horse's strong neck and trying to gain his feet. Lack of proper food, warmth and sleep had left the usually strong prince remarkably weak and he found that he couldn't quite manage it. The horse, who seemed to have grown even closer to his lifelong friend, and almost looked as if he actually understood the prince's predicament as he carefully laid down. Legolas smiled softly and wrapped his hand around the horse's mane before dragging himself onto the horse's back.

Soon enough they were back on the road, riding as hard as they could across the frozen plains. By mid-morning they had covered a considerable distance but their speed came at a price. The pace they had set was nothing short of brutal and both were beginning to feel its effects. Despite the chill in the air and the frozen ground, the proud stallion's coat was wet with sweat and he was breathing hard to catch his breath as his legs pounded as hard as he could manage. On his back, Legolas' head was bowed low and he clutched at the horse's mane to keep from falling. Usually, it would have been no problem for an Elf to keep from toppling even at the fastest speeds – even more unusual as their superior balance meant that they had no need for the conventional tack used by humans – but now, the prince of Mirkwood, a perfectly good horseman under normal circumstances, needed every last bit of the strength he possessed to remain upright.

His sensitive steed was all too aware of his rider's condition and attempted to keep up the fast pace at the same time as keeping the ride as smooth as possible. Suddenly, Legolas sat up straight and his entire body went tense. The horse, recognising the signs from experience skidded to a halt, sensing his master's urgency. As fast as his weakened body allowed, Legolas slipped from the horse's back and managed to stumble to the verge on the roadside before he fell to his hands and knees, vomiting what little food and water he had managed to consume recently. Tears streamed down his face as he retched, even though he should be used to this process by now. This was becoming an all too regular occurrence but he would never get used to this feeling of getting sick. Elves didn't generally get sick, or at least not in the way Men did. They could be killed in battle and be poisoned as Men could and could also die from a broken heart but all these were rare things and on the whole they did not become ill. Had he not been feeling so utterly miserable, Legolas could have laughed at the irony. What he wouldn't give to merely be plagued with a human illness.

Once he felt that there was nothing left inside of him, Legolas lifted one hand from the freezing ground and shakily wiped his mouth on his already dirty sleeve then wiped the tears from his cheeks before sitting up straight. He closed his eyes against the cold winter daylight and willed the world to stop its nauseating spinning. He was just so tired. Already in a bad condition, his body craved proper rest and the odd couple of hours sleeping out in the cold, uncomfortable elements were simply not enough. He wanted – he _needed_ – to get to Imladris. It was his last hope. And it was his overwhelming desire to get there that blinded him to all else, including his own precarious health.

Despite this conviction, Legolas felt coldness creeping through him and his vision started to darken and regardless of his very best attempts to remain conscious, he eventually lost the fight, falling into darkness and toppling over onto his front.

Having seen his master fall forward, the horse pawed at the ground, neighing loudly in an attempt to rouse his beloved companion. Legolas remained unmoved though so the concerned stallion bent his neck down and prodded the prince's arm to provoke a response. Unfortunately, it didn't work. Resorting to drastic action, the horse took Legolas' thin, tattered cloak between his teeth and pulled, hoping movement would disturb his master's sleep. It didn't, however. Finally giving up his attempts to wake the prince, the ever-faithful horse lowered his own exhausted bulk to the ground and kept a wary eye on the road, ensuring no harm came to his incapacitated master as he rested.

When consciousness returned to the prince of Mirkwood it was slowly and painfully. He opened his eyes to discover that it was already late afternoon. He had been out of it for almost four hours. Groaning, he pulled himself up to his knees, rubbing his aching head with trembling fingers. Only then did he note that he was kneeling uncomfortably in a puddle of water and there was more rain pouring from the thundery sky. He was soaked through and covered in mud. Shivering slightly, he shook out his cloak to rid it of some of the gathered water even though it was fairly pointless by now.

At this point, his horse nudged him again and he put his hand quickly to the muddy ground to keep his balance. "All right, I'm coming," the Elf mumbled, unsteadily gaining his feet in the slippery earth. For a moment, he was forced to lean against his steed to keep from falling down again as a wave of dizziness swept over him. Once it had passed, he slowly – and rather awkwardly for one of the Firstborn – mounted his horse. Without needing to be prompted, the newly rested stallion took off at full speed towards Imladris. He could feel the Elf he bore slowly fading away. He couldn't let his kind master and future King of Mirkwood die. Not now.

With rain pounding against his exposed face and the wind whipping around him, Legolas was rather proud of himself for simply staying atop the racing horse. Catching his hood, which had been blown back due to the wind and completely soaking his hair, Legolas pulled it up even though it was useless now. He was cold. Freezing actually. His hands were white, his fingers frozen stiff, entangled in the dripping wet mane they clutched. His face actually ached from being pounded with the driving rain. In truth, he was surprised that there was rain rather than snow for it was certainly cold enough for it. What was more disturbing was that he was beginning to feel so tired that he could barely keep his eyes open.

A couple of times he had closed his eyes without even realising it and only the unnerving sensation of rocking movement of the horse snapped him awake before he fell once more to the ground. He carried onwards though, pushing himself that little bit further. It wasn't like there was anywhere he could pause to rest. There was nowhere that would provide sufficient shelter from the rain. Besides, he couldn't be that much further from Rivendell.

As night fell, Legolas finally saw through the driving rain what he had been aiming for all this time. Imladris. He pulled his horse to a halt and stopped to look down at the kingdom. It had never looked more inviting even though he could only see the dim lights in the distance. It stood at least another days' ride away but at least they were getting close. That realisation brought tears to his eyes but he didn't let them fall even though there was no one around to witness them.

"Come on, mellon nin. Nearly there," Legolas told his steed, patting his soaked neck before nudging him onward.

With Rivendell just hours away now, Legolas found himself newly invigorated and they made excellent time the next day. As they passed over the Rivendell borders, the rain eased ever so slightly and the air became a little warmer. Not wanting to run into any border patrols, Legolas took a little-known back road. It was harder to navigate and the rain was starting to flood them but he had to reach the House of Elrond.

Finally, at nearly two in the morning, they reached the gates to the House. As always, they stood wide open. 'The Last Homely House', that was what Rivendell's Lord and master, Elrond, called it. The huge, beautifully sculpted gates remained wide open, accepting anyone from any race who required or desired sanctuary or simple to visit the place to rest and recover. In the past whenever he had arrived at the gates, Legolas had always felt at home, at peace, but now, after weeks of relentless travelling, he found that he couldn't urge his horse forward into the courtyard. Legolas, the proud and unflappable Prince of Mirkwood, was absolutely terrified of passing through into the House.

It wasn't the actual act that scared him. That was easy enough. No plea or password was required to enter the home of Elrond. He was instead scared of what might happen after he had gotten through the gates and into the House to meet the Lord of the land.

Before the long weeks on the road to Rivendell, he had been constantly searching for a place to stay. He had been to Lake Town as well as other towns and villages around Mirkwood and to various towns of Men but he had been turned away from every place he thought safe. He had been sent away from Lothlorien also, where he had always been warmly welcomed before. Now, in his current state, every one of the places and people he had considered friends and allies had abandoned him.

Rivendell was quite literally his last hope. There was nowhere else. Hence his fear now. If he was turned away from Rivendell he didn't have a clue what he would do next. Already at the point of exhaustion and near starvation, he knew he would never survive on his own.

Fear pulsed through him and caused him to tremble even through his shivers. He had to go forwards; he couldn't just stand there all night long. He had to move at some point. A sob of desperation welled up in his chest but he swallowed it down; he wasn't going to fall apart now, not after he had come so far.

Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, Legolas finally nudged his horse onwards. Sensing his master's tension, the horse took it slowly, walking sedately through the gates and into the stone courtyard. Legolas kept his hooded head bowed, not looking up at the huge and increasingly intimidating house before him. He couldn't bring himself to look at it. It would only make it harder when – or rather _if_ – he was turned away.

When they neared the entrance, Legolas pulled his horse to a stop and a tall Elf wearing a long, dark cloak to keep the rain off and carrying a lantern to light his way, ran from the guardhouse to greet him. Legolas remained on his horse who whinnied protectively when the unknown Elf approached. Legolas smiled slightly in appreciation but patted his neck to keep him in check. The Elf, suitably warned, kept his distance and called above the pounding rain, "Good morning, sir. What can I do for you?"

Legolas cleared his throat nervously and responded, "I come to seek the sanctuary provided by Lord Elrond and the kingdom of Imladris."

He waited anxiously for the response. Usually this was the point where he got turned away. So he was rather surprised when the Elf nodded politely. "Of course, sir. The grooms will take care of your horse if you would care to follow me."

For a moment, Legolas just sat there, not quite knowing what to do next. The other Elf, perhaps tired of standing out in the pouring rain, coughed expectantly and prompted, "Sir, you'll need to dismount first."

"What?"

"So the grooms can take your horse to the stables."

"Oh yes. Right." Gripping the steed's mane, Legolas slipped from the strong back, stumbling slightly when his feet touched the ground. Regaining his balance, the Elf tenderly stroked the horse's mane and softly said, "Thank you, my friend. Go now and rest." He turned to the groom who had approached and said, "Please take good care of him." The groom nodded and led the slightly reluctant steed away towards the dry stables. This was only the second time horse and master had been parted in almost three months.

Now, without his one friend in the world, Legolas felt alone and exposed and the fear began to build in him again. If they threw him from Imladris now he doubted he would be given a chance to retrieve his mount. Panic momentarily seized him and he stood frozen to the spot, oblivious to the tall Elf talking to him and walking towards the house. When the Elf of Imladris realised that the visitor was not following he turned back and frowned.

Returning to the other Elf's side, the young guard laid his hand on the trembling Elf's shoulder and felt the frightened being startle under his touch. "Sir, you need to follow me into the House."

Legolas nodded his head slightly. "Yes." Slowly and with faltering steps, he walked towards the House. Following the guard, Legolas attempted to keep his nerves in check. What happened here, happened. Avoiding entering the House wouldn't get him anywhere. Rational thought drew him onwards and soon he found himself inside the beautiful and blissfully warm and dry entrance hall of the Last Homely House. Legolas could have dropped to the ground right there but he followed the guard to the other side of the entrance hall where they stopped.

"I'm afraid that Lord Elrond is not available to hear your petition tonight but his seneschal, Lord Glorfindel, will be able to hear your plea for sanctuary. Don't be nervous. Lord Glorfindel is fair enough in these matters; he will hear you out and decide appropriately." Legolas nodded; he knew Glorfindel well, having spent a lot of time in Rivendell in the past. Despite this, he was nervous about seeing the Elda again. "I'll go and fetch the seneschal for you. Can I take your cloak in the meantime, sir?" he asked, holding out his hand for the stranger's cloak, which was dripping water onto the white marble floor.

Legolas took a step backwards, trying to avoid slipping on the puddle that had formed on the stone. "No! Thank you."

The guard withdrew his hand, somewhat surprised by the sharp tone.

"Very well. I will only be a minute. Make yourself comfortable." He pointed to a row of seats lining the wall before disappearing through a side door. Legolas looked at the comfortable chairs and desperately wanted to sink down into one of them but then he thought about his dripping wet clothes staining the wood and fabric and decided against it. Besides, he probably wouldn't be able to get up again if he sat down now.

Closing his eyes, Legolas took a moment to savour the warmth and the fact that he now had shelter from the elements. This was the first time – bar the inn he had once managed to purchase a room in – that he had been inside for three months and it felt so good. He opened his eyes lest he fall asleep where he was standing. He realised that his head had dropped so his chin was resting on his chest and he was looking down at the floor. For a fleeting moment, in the warmth and relative safety of the House, he felt like lying down on the hard, cold marble floor and just drifting off to sleep. It may have been hellishly uncomfortable but it would have been a marked improvement on the cold, mostly sodden ground he had come to be familiar with over the past months.

Shaking his head with a small smile, Legolas wiped his hand down his wet face. Growing increasingly concerned that his weak and trembling body wouldn't hold him without support, he made his way cautiously over to the wall and, leaning against it, closed his eyes again, this time to stop the dizziness that assailed him. Unfortunately, that action only served to disorient him more and he found himself swaying slightly and swallowing thickly at the thought of the impending nausea. Why did this have to happen here? Falling hard on his hands and knees, Legolas brought up the water he had managed to consume on his way through Rivendell.

Once his stomach had calmed again and he had finished retching, he sat up straight and leaned back against the wall. Taking some deep breaths, Legolas tried to regain his composure. He was shaking again and it was now entirely out of his control.

Just as he felt his eyes drooping in forced sleep, a door opened to the entrance hall and a cheerful voice chimed out and he snapped into awareness again.

"Well sir, you picked a fine night to arrive. But thankfully, I have a little time to hear your plea tonight if it is quick…" The seneschal of Imladris stopped his greeting abruptly when he saw the hooded and cloaked visitor struggling to pull himself off the floor, using the wall for support. He was failing miserably at it though. "Sir?" Glorfindel asked, stepping across the hall towards the traveller. "Here, let me help you," the blonde Elda offered, taking the stranger's arm and helping him to his feet, not failing to notice the shivering of the being – it could only have been a human – the weakness surrounding him or the mess on the floor.

Legolas followed the seneschal's sharp blue gaze to the floor and beneath his hood a flush of embarrassment crept over his pale cheeks. Clearing his throat, he kept his face carefully hidden, having noticed the couple of guards who had followed the seneschal into the entrance hall but said softly, "Forgive me, my Lord."

Glorfindel looked back up at the traveller and smiled reassuringly, even though the stranger couldn't see it. "There is nothing to forgive. We will get you to a healer and discuss your application in the morning once you have rested."

"No!" Legolas cried out, stepping back from the blonde Elf before him and nearly stumbling in the process. "No, I don't need a healer; just a place to stay." He saw Glorfindel looking at him sceptically. "Please."

"As you wish." Glorfindel took a moment to rake his eyes down the tall being before returning to his customarily polite, cheerful formalities. "Well, welcome to Imladris. You came here to seek official sanctuary, I assume?"

"I do, sir," Legolas answered shakily.

"Good. If you would please follow me we can talk privately in my office." In truth, Glorfindel didn't think the petitioner could remain on his feet too much longer. He was dripping wet, filthy dirty and shivering violently. "We can have your bags brought to us later." Glorfindel glanced around the hall for the traveller's luggage but it was otherwise empty.

"I have no bags, sir," Legolas replied simply.

"I see," Glorfindel muttered curiously. What kind of traveller travelled with absolutely no bags or possessions. He wasn't even carrying a bag. Pushing his curiosity aside for the time being, Glorfindel smiled, "Well, if you would care to follow me we can get started on your application for asylum." Glorfindel walked out the door and led the visitor through the corridors, remembering to keep his striding pace in check. Surprisingly, the seemingly down-trodden visitor had no problem keeping up with him, stubbornly matching his pace.

This particular visitor was certainly strange. Usually within minutes of their arrival people were shamelessly pleading their cases, practically grovelling at Glorfindel's feet to be permitted entrance to the realm. This particular traveller had only spoken the bare minimum and now followed the seneschal in absolute silence. That he hadn't offered a name was not particularly unusual. And yet, as Glorfindel considered it, there was something profoundly familiar about the person but he could not place exactly what it was. It was so frustrating but the traveller didn't seem to be very forthcoming about his identity. No doubt it would all be revealed in time.

Glorfindel glanced over his shoulder to find the visitor trailing obediently behind him. He had not yet lowered his hood so Glorfindel still couldn't see his face. His head was bowed as if he was having to put an extra amount of effort and concentration into where he was placing his feet. His ragged attire suggested that he had lived in the wilds for a long time and he displayed no insignia or finery on his cloak, suggesting he carried no official rank. His entire being screamed of despair and exhaustion and it looked as though he was about to fall to the ground at any moment.

Glorfindel stopped at his office and opened the door for the traveller to enter. "In here," he prompted and the cloaked figure stepped inside. He walked to the centre of the room and waited for Glorfindel to close the door on the guards that had been discreetly following them and who were now waiting outside for the seneschal's protection.

"Right, let's get this paperwork started," Glorfindel stated, striding over to his untidy desk and searching through the drawers. "Please feel free to remove your cloak and take a seat. I realise that it is late but this shouldn't take too long. There are some papers for you to fill out and then myself and Lord Elrond will decide whether you can remain in Imladris and for how long. You will, of course, be given food and shelter tonight regardless of the outcome. And a healer if you require it. Where are those papers?" Glorfindel muttered to himself, shoving a pile of parchment aside.

Whilst Glorfindel was rummaging through his drawers, Legolas remained standing stoically in the centre of the large, warm office barely hearing what the other blonde Elf was speaking about. He was trying very hard to summon up the courage to pull his hood back and reveal his true identity. So far it had all being going so well. He was one step away from a warm bed and a safe place to live. Revealing himself to be Prince of Mirkwood could very well shatter that. His conscience, however, would not allow him to remain hidden, his identity concealed behind a hood.

Taking a deep breath, Legolas reached up with trembling hands and pulled his hood down, revealing pale, tired features. A moment later Glorfindel made a triumphant noise as he finally grasped the asylum application forms he had been searching for and turned to face the silent visitor. When he saw the familiar face of the Prince of Mirkwood he very nearly dropped his newly found papers to the floor.

For a moment he could only stare, open-mouthed at the filthy, dishevelled prince stood before him. No wonder the wanderer had seemed familiar. Legolas had not exactly been a stranger in Rivendell in the past, especially considering his close relationship with Imladris' Lord.

"Legolas!" Glorfindel finally exclaimed, utterly stunned. "Uh…I'm sorry, prince Legolas," he quickly corrected, remembering who he was talking to. "Your Highness, by the Valar. What are you doing here?"

"Mae govannan, Glorfindel," Legolas nodded with a smile.

"Sir, you'll have to forgive me. I didn't realise it was you." Not that it was entirely unexpected that he hadn't immediately recognised the prince. Had Glorfindel not known the face so well he would never have been able to deduce the pitiful figure standing before him held any kind of rank at all, let alone a prince.

"Forgive the secrecy, my Lord," Legolas said softly, bowing his head to avoid Glorfindel's prying eyes.

'My Lord'? Legolas had never addressed him as 'Lord' before. Nor had he ever seen the young Elf so subdued. Standing in Glorfindel's office, Legolas seemed almost frightened. "Usually when you come to Rivendell you're flanked by an escort. Did something happen on the road here? Were you attacked?"

"No."

"Then…what, Your Highness? Did King Thranduil send you?"

Glorfindel could have sworn he saw Legolas flinch at the mention of his father. "In a manner." Legolas finally lifted his head and met Glorfindel's eyes. "My father has banished me from Mirkwood, Captain. I come to Rivendell to plead for sanctuary," he said as strongly as he could given that he had to keep from shivering so hard that his voice cracked.

"Banished? Valar, why?" Legolas' head lowered again and Glorfindel knew that he wasn't going to get an answer just yet. "My Prince, you needn't have come in secret. Had you announced your arrival we could have prepared, received you properly."

"It…It was not appropriate. I didn't want to cause a fuss," he admitted quietly.

"A fuss? Legolas, you're prince of Mirkwood…"

"Don't," Legolas snapped before he could hold his tongue. He was saved from the despair welling up inside of him at offending the one person who could possibly offer him relief when darkness crept onto the edges of his vision. Thankfully, it receded after a moment and he managed to remain on his feet.

He must have swayed quite drastically though as Glorfindel had dropped the application papers on the desk and strode towards the young Elf. He took Legolas' arm to steady him and almost pulled back when he felt how cold the prince was.

"Ai, Legolas, you're freezing," he cried out. "And soaking." He reached up to the clasp on Legolas' dripping cloak in an attempt to remove it but Legolas sharply pulled away and would have tripped had Glorfindel not grabbed him again. "Please, mellon nin, you're shivering."

"Please don't, sir."

Legolas sounded so small and desperate that Glorfindel merely nodded. "All right." He walked over to stand by the door and pulled his own thick cloak off the hook, walking back to Legolas, he carefully draped it over the shaking Elf's shoulders. "There. Come and sit down." He went to lead Legolas to the couch on the far side of the room.

"I…I can't," Legolas told him even as he passively allowed himself to be led.

"Why not?"

"I'm all wet," Legolas explained as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Legolas, the banished Prince of Mirkwood was freezing cold, barely remaining on his feet and he was concerned about the state of the furniture in a place he had always called his true home? Glorfindel would have laughed had he not been so concerned.

"Don't worry about that. Sit down before you fall down." Slowly, Legolas nodded and lowered himself down to sit on the couch and allowed himself a small sigh of relief. "I'll make you some tea; it'll warm you up a bit."

"You don't have to do that, Captain," Legolas said weakly. "Really."

Glorfindel turned to face him. "Are you sure?" Legolas nodded, averting his eyes again so Glorfindel wouldn't see the fear in them. "Let me fetch Lord Elrond for you."

"No. Please don't. The guard said he wasn't available tonight."

"We're in the middle of trade negotiations with Gondor. They tend to drag on a little," the seneschal explained.

There was an uncomfortable silence for a couple of moments before Legolas quietly, timidly, spoke. "My Lord, I would understand if you chose to turn down my request for asylum." He simply couldn't stand the suspense any longer. It was eating away at him, shredding his already frayed nerves.

To say that Glorfindel was stunned by these words wouldn't anywhere accurately describe it. For a long moment he couldn't even speak. He just stared at Legolas, whose eyes were fixed on the floor, seemingly both pleading and terrified at once. The proud prince was practically quivering under the pressure of his request, seeming to retreat further within himself as though bracing himself for the – seemingly inevitable – rejection.

"Turn it down?" Glorfindel finally stuttered. "Why would I turn it down? Of course you are more than welcome to stay in Rivendell for as long as you like. I know Elrond will agree with me."

Legolas looked up in surprise and Glorfindel was startled to see a tear slip down his pale cheek. "I…I may stay here?" he asked in halting disbelief.

"Of course."

"Really?"

"Really. Legolas, you have always been welcome in Imladris."

"Thank you. I can fill in your forms now," he said almost eagerly as though the offer was going to be ripped away from him – as if Glorfindel could ever be that cruel.

"That's not really necessary."

"Please, I want to do it."

Glorfindel was reluctant. The younger Elf didn't look like he would be able to even hold a pen with those shaking hands. However, the prince's tired, pleading eyes got the better of him. "All right, mellon nin." He went to the desk and retrieved the forgotten asylum application papers and a pencil. "Here, it's pretty simple. Just state your name, title and reasons for needing sanctuary," Glorfindel explained to him, trying to remain professional and formal as he would with any other applicant. Legolas nodded even though his slow, sluggish mind could barely process what he was being told. Glorfindel had informed him that this was not necessary and half his mind told him that he could now go to a nice warm bed right then and rest his shattered body. But another scared and irrational part of his mind screamed at him to get something official, something in writing. Proof that his long journey was finally over. He needed assurance.

Glorfindel handed Legolas the papers, noting how they shook slightly in his weak grasp. Despite the cloak around his shoulders and the warmth of the office, the Elf was shivering, showing just how cold he was, and Glorfindel wondered how long he had been out in the wilds. He looked worryingly thin, almost gaunt, with his filthy, ripped clothes hanging off his lithe frame, suggesting he hadn't eaten in a long time. His normally shimmering blonde hair hung unkempt around his face and was almost brown it was so filthy. Obviously, he hadn't stopped in a long while. His eyes seemed dull and he blinked lethargically now and then as if having to fight to even keep his eyes open. He swayed a little where he sat and Glorfindel restrained the urge to force him to lie down before he fell to the floor.

Legolas was now staring blankly at the paper in his hands. "You'll need a pencil," Glorfindel prompted, pressing the pencil into Legolas' hand and having to disguise a wince when he felt once more how freezing cold Legolas' hands were.

With trembling hands, the prince slowly started to scribble on the paper. "Let me make you some warm tea, mellon nin. Please. You're frozen."

"I don't want to inconvenience you," Legolas said shakily, looking up from his writing.

"It's no trouble. I usually have a mug at this time of night anyway."

Realising that the prospect of warmth sounded just too good to resist, Legolas nodded attempting and failing a smile. "Thank you."

Immediately, Glorfindel set about boiling some water over the fire and mixing together the herbs to make a hot, soothing tea. The sound of rustling paper followed by the subtle clearing of the throat from Legolas made Glorfindel turn around and he noticed the prince blinking rapidly and shaking his head almost as if he was trying to wake himself up after almost falling asleep where he sat, which was entirely possible.

"Legolas, you really don't have to complete those right now. They can wait until the morning once you have rested. I can find you a room so you can…"

"I need to finish, sir. But thank you."

"As long as you're certain." Legolas nodded and once more cleared his throat, shifting back on the couch as he could feel himself starting to slip nearer to the edge and he was slightly worried that he might soon end up on the floor. A minute later, Glorfindel heard another rustle, this one as Legolas got more comfortable on the large couch then, just as he finished stirring the tea, he heard something fall to the floor and he turned around. "Legolas?" he asked in confusion. The prince had shifted back so he was leaning back properly against the couch and had obviously been unable to keep his eyes open a second longer.

Upon Glorfindel's assurances, Legolas had leaned back and closed his eyes in relief, having every intention of completing the forms. Before he even had time to reopen his eyes though his utterly exhausted mind had taken his momentary lapse in concentration to just shut itself down, forcing the Elf to rest. The papers he had been working on had slipped from his lax fingers, fluttering to the floor.

"Legolas?" Glorfindel repeated, taking a step towards the couch. He smiled softly when he realised that the prince was already peacefully asleep.

Glorfindel picked up a thick blanket from under the couch and draped it over his arm whilst he gently removed the forgotten pencil from Legolas' limp fingers. He placed it on the desk and collected up the scattered papers from the floor, noticing that the prince's normally neat writing was scrawling, shaky and barely legible. Not that it mattered; the papers weren't necessary after all.

Worried that the young Elf was still shivering even in his sleep, the seneschal of Imladris carefully laid the blanket over him, tucking it around him. Feeling the movement, Legolas opened his eyes a slit and met Glorfindel's. He murmured something that sounded vaguely like 'sorry' but Glorfindel assured, "Shh, it's all right. Rest, mellon nin." Without any further encouragement, the blue eyes slid shut again and his head lolled to one side.

Glorfindel stayed with Legolas until he was certain the prince was properly asleep and then he very quietly slipped from the room. He strode down the corridors until he reached the conference room. Knowing all the diplomats would still be in there thrashing out the treaty details, Glorfindel opened the door and stepped inside silently.

The diplomats were sitting around the long rectangular all looking rather weary. Half-empty glasses on wine were before most of them as well as piles of scattered papers. They were all deep in conversation, which by now was more than a little strained. Around the sides of the room servants and advisors were waiting for their respective masters. Erestor, Elrond's own assistant and the house's major domo, was stood off to one side furiously scribbling notes and trying to keep up with the conversation. He looked up upon Glorfindel's entrance and smiled grimly. Elrond himself sat at the head of the table, sitting regally upright, his hands folded neatly on the table before him, drinking in everything he was hearing but not partaking in the yelling. Although he looked calm, not betraying his true emotions, Glorfindel could see the frustration just beneath the surface and knew his Lord's patience was running thin. As he made his way around the table, Elrond caught his eye, a little surprised to see his seneschal here. Usually, when Glorfindel had to deal with sanctuary requests he was kept busy for a long time.

Glorfindel reached Elrond and bent down so he could speak without anyone overhearing. "Excuse me for interrupting, my Lord, but there is something you need to see," Glorfindel said softly.

Turning his head to face Glorfindel, Elrond said, "Is it important? I'm still needed here."

"Very important, my Lord."

Elrond nodded. He knew Glorfindel wouldn't disturb him unless he was urgently needed. He calmly stood up and everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to the Lord of Imladris. "Ladies and Gentlemen, please excuse me for a moment. I'll be right back." Before Elrond had even turned to leave they were back to arguing. As he walked past him, Elrond whispered to Erestor, "Make sure they don't kill each other in my absence." The assistant nodded and went back to his scribbling.

Once they were outside in the corridor, Elrond breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank the Valar, a brief reprieve." Glorfindel smiled softly, knowing how much he hated mediating these shouting matches. "There were moments I honestly thought we were about to be plunged into all-out war."

"So it's not going well?" Glorfindel asked dryly.

"You could say that. So what was so important that you had to pull me out of the most important political meeting in years?" Elrond asked as Glorfindel led him through the corridors.

"There's someone you need to see."

"Is this about your sanctuary applicant?"

"Yes. It's someone we know."

"Who?" Elrond asked, growing ever more curious.

"It's the Prince of Mirkwood."

Elrond outright laughed at this, startling Glorfindel a little. "Legolas is in Imladris? He always did like to make an entrance. Seeking asylum, he's never used that one before."

Glorfindel stopped Elrond just a few corridors from his office. "My Lord, the prince's is actually here to seek sanctuary. He turned up about an hour ago, freezing cold and soaking wet and asked to stay in Imladris. Apparently, Thranduil has banished him from Mirkwood. He's in my office now." Elrond's face had turned from humour to shock as Glorfindel said this, knowing this was no longer a joke. He broke into a run and they reached Glorfindel's office a minute later. Elrond dashed through the door but stopped abruptly when he saw Legolas, still partially laid out on the couch, covering in a blanket and looking paler than Elrond had ever seen him. And so small; Legolas had never looked so small in all the years that Elrond had known him.

"Legolas," Elrond whispered, finally stepping into the office and approaching the prince. "Legolas?"

As Elrond lowered himself to sit beside Legolas on the couch, Glorfindel explained quietly, "He started to fill out the asylum forms then just fell asleep."

"You made him fill out forms?" Elrond snapped angrily.

"He insisted. I told him it wasn't necessary but he practically begged to fill them out. My Lord, he is cold and his clothes are all torn and filthy, I think he's been on the road for quite a while. And, my Lord, I think he is ill."

"Ill? Elves don't suffer illness, Glorfindel," Elrond said shortly as if talking to an ignorant child.

"I know but he was shaking and he was sick earlier. I offered to take him to a healer but he flat out refused."

"Did he tell you what happened?"

"He didn't say much at all."

Elrond nodded in understanding and turned his attention back to the prince. He reached out a hand and brushed it over Legolas' pale cheek, wincing when he felt how cold it was, especially considering it was now a little too warm in the office. "Legolas? Melleth nin? Can you hear me?"

"He looked utterly exhausted, my Lord."

"Legolas?" After a long moment, heavy blue eyes opened, looking sluggishly around himself. Panic rose in him. He had been filling out forms. Fear raced through him when he thought that now he would be thrown from the last place that offered hope. Noticing him panic, Elrond placed a hand on his arm and smiled gently when Legolas' eyes met him. "It's all right, you're safe."

"Elrond?" Legolas asked shakily and Elrond smiled at him in confirmation. Then the prince remembered his position and struggled to force his exhausted body up to sit. "My Lord Elrond, I've come to ask you for sanctuary in your realm. I…I haven't completed all the…forms yet but…"

"Shh, don't worry about that," Elrond said, reaching up to wipe away the tears that Legolas didn't realise had started to fall.

"I…I didn't have anywhere else…to go," the prince stuttered tearfully.

Putting his arm around Legolas' shoulders, not missing the shivering, Elrond said softly, "You know you're always welcome in Imladris."

With tears streaming down his face, Legolas practically whimpered, "Please don't send me away. Please."

Elrond pulled Legolas against his chest as the younger Elf broke down into tears. Gently stroking filthy wet hair back, Elrond soothed, "Shh, I'm not going to send you away. You're safe in Imladris. We're going to look after you." Legolas was now gripping the front of Elrond's robes with thin, shaking and worryingly weak hands. "Shh, I've got you."

Slowly, Legolas' cries died down and he rested tiredly against Elrond. Of all the people in Imladris, Elrond had been the one Legolas pushed himself and his horse so hard to reach. He had longed to be in his friend and lover's arms. There he had always felt safe, held by those hands that always remained so steady and strong no matter what. He needed that. Pressing his cold cheek against the clothed warmth of Elrond's broad chest, Legolas closed his eyes in relief. Elrond hadn't thrown him out. Both he and Glorfindel had said that he could remain in Rivendell. For the time being he was safe. Elrond could protect him now. Already he could feel the warmth seeping back into his frozen body, which had more to do with the presence of the Elven Lord than the heat in the office. With Elrond pressed up against him, the increased temperature and the soothing hand that was stroking his hair, Legolas felt himself being lulled back into sleep but fought to keep his eyes open.

Looking down and seeing the younger Elf fighting off sleep, Elrond said gently, "Come on, melleth nin. Let's get you out of these wet clothes and into a bed." He glanced up at his seneschal, who had been watching silently, and said, "Could you please go and inform the diplomats that we shall have to pick the madness up later."

"Of course, sir." He left the room without further comment.

Elrond reached down and pulled up the blanket and wrapped it around the prince. "Put your arm around my neck," he said, standing up. Too tired and drained to argue, Legolas did as he was told. The Lord of Imladris bent down, placing an arm under Legolas' legs and easily lifted the slight frame into his arms. Legolas rested his head against Elrond's strong chest, completely secure in the arms of the person he loved.

**Translations:**

**Mellon nin – My friend**

**Melleth nin – My love**

**Mae govannan – Well met**


	2. Surprises All Round

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****Yes this is an m-preg, as in male pregnancy. I know anatomically it is impossible in the real world but I like the idea (mainly for the Legolas suffering that goes with it). Please, if you are dead set against this kind of thing then don't read then complain that you weren't warned.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created. Promise.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 2 ~ Surprises All Round**

**OIOI**

As Elrond carried the younger Elf through the corridors, Legolas whispered, "I'm sorry."

Looking down, Elrond smiled kindly. "Shh. We'll get you sorted out now." He carried Legolas in silence then towards his own rooms, knowing he wouldn't want to be taken to the healing halls. Legolas had always hated the healing halls, no matter what his reason for going.

Suddenly, Elrond felt Legolas shift a little in his arms. "Elrond…put me down," the prince said urgently.

Elrond smiled down at him. "I don't mind carrying you."

"Elrond, please put me down."

"We're nearly there, there's no point in you walking a couple of corridors." Truthfully, Elrond didn't think the prince could walk far on his own anyway.

"No. I need to get down," Legolas said desperately, one shaking hand going to cover his mouth.

Concerned by this sudden, strange action, Elrond looked down at him again and asked, "Are you all right?"

Shaking his head, Legolas removed his hand enough to thickly say, "I'm going to be sick."

Elrond stopped walking at this and softly soothed, "All right." He placed Legolas down on his feet, trying to keep him steady, but Legolas sank to his hands and knees and Elrond followed him down. As the young Elf vomited once more, Elrond gently laid his hand on Legolas' trembling back. "All right. It's all right," he reassured gently, pulling Legolas' long, lank hair out of his face and smoothing it down his back kindly.

This was the first time Legolas had had another person with him during one of these bouts of sickness and although he was glad for the kind support offered, he was also deeply uncomfortable at the thought of someone witnessing this weakness – Glorfindel seeing him in the aftermath had been bad enough.

After his stomach had stopped doing nauseating somersaults, Legolas gingerly sat upright, bringing up a trembling hand to wipe his mouth. Blinking tears from his blurred eyes, Legolas looked up at his partner, feeling his already flushed face burn in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," he apologised hoarsely.

Elrond reached up to stroke his cool forehead tenderly and said dismissively, "It's all right, melleth."

"I'll clean up…" the prince continued, trying to pull himself up from the floor but finding himself too weak to do so.

The Lord of Imladris took his arm to steady him and said, "Don't be ridiculous. It doesn't matter. Let's just get you out of his corridor and into bed." He carefully gathered Legolas up into his arms and made his way towards his rooms. Exhausted, Legolas just laid there limply. "Nearly there, Legolas," Elrond assured as they turned the final corner. Legolas had seemed to have settled once more, his eyes closed as he rested his head back against his protector's chest.

Finally, they reached Elrond's rooms and the Elven Lord awkwardly reached out to open the door whilst keeping his hold on Legolas secure. Elrond stepped inside, kicking the door closed behind him. He went straight across the living room and walked into the bedroom. He very carefully laid the trembling prince down on the large bed and although Legolas seemed reluctant to release the warmth of his lover he let go of Elrond's neck and curled up on his side, closing his eyes.

Elrond sat down on the bed next to him and softly said, "Legolas, we need to get you out of those clothes, melleth nin; they're soaked through and you're freezing cold." He went to unfasten Legolas' wet cloak but the younger Elf flinched away from him. "Legolas, please."

"Don't. Please don't," Legolas whimpered, closing his eyes against Elrond's concerned gaze. He opened them again when he felt a warm, steady hand on his cold cheek.

"Let me help you. I hate seeing you uncomfortable. Something's obviously wrong and I know you won't let me take you to the healing halls so let me help you here."

"I'm fine," Legolas said so weakly that it didn't sound even remotely convincing.

"'Fine' Elves don't get cold or sick. I am a healer, Legolas, I can make you feel better but you have to let me." Legolas looked up at him sceptically. "I won't hurt you; you know that, don't you?" The blonde Elf nodded. "I just want to make sure you're all right. I'm worried about you."

Legolas thought for a moment before reluctantly speaking. "I…don't want you seeing me…like this," he whispered quietly in embarrassment, averting his eyes.

"Like what?" Elrond gently probed.

Almost unconsciously, Legolas' hand drifted to his stomach and he felt tears once more stinging his eyes. "I…can't explain."

"Then let me take a look. You don't have to be embarrassed around me." Legolas stared up into reassuring brown eyes. "I love you and I want to help you. Please let me." Very slowly, Legolas nodded his consent and Elrond smiled reassuringly. "Thank you. I need you to take your clothes off for me." He helped the exhausted young Elf sit up straight in the bed, which was already covered in dirt transferred from his filthy clothing. "Just take it slowly," Elrond told him as he shrugged the blanket off his shoulders. Legolas tried to unfasten his cloak clasp and buttons on his tunic but his fingers were still stiff from the cold, reducing their usual dexterity. Noticing this, Elrond asked, "Do you need some help with that?"

Legolas smiled and nodded, "Thank you."

Without a word, Elrond easily undid the clasp around Legolas' neck and pulled the soaked garment off of him, laying it neatly at the bottom of the bed even though it looked as if it belonged in the rubbish. He then unbuttoned Legolas' shirt, surprised to find that it too was covered in mud and was just as wet as his cloak. The prince must have been beyond uncomfortable in the sodden clothes. Once Elrond had helped slide the shirt off the prince, he almost gasped out loud in shock at the sight of the prince's body. He was far too thin to be healthy; every one of his ribs could clearly be seen so it was almost painful to look at. What surprised Elrond even more was the mass of tightly bound bandages around his abdomen. Panic surged through the healer when he thought of what might have happened to his beloved.

"Oh Legolas, why didn't you say? How did you injure yourself this badly?"

Legolas looked down at the dirty bandages and sighed. "I am not injured," he said wearily.

"Then what are these for?" Elrond exclaimed almost angrily. "What happened, Legolas?"

Legolas stared at the dirty sheets beneath him so as to avoid Elrond's probing gaze. This was the part he had been dreading. He knew it was inevitable but he had hoped to get at least one nights' good sleep in a proper bed before his secret was unveiled and he was thrown from Rivendell. He supposed he should be grateful, this was the longest he had felt safe in months.

The only times he had been inside and allowed to rest properly had been the couple of nights he had managed to purchase a room in a tavern. It had broken his heart when he had been forced to give away what few valuables he had possessed in exchange for a roof over his head and a meal. Not that he owned that much. All he had on him when he had left Mirkwood were the clothes he wore, a cloak – along with an accompanying silver brooch, the first thing he had sold – a pack with just a couple of packets of whey bread and a small canteen of water. He had given most of these things away in a village to get new shoes to replace his broken boots as he really had no need for a canteen and an empty pack. The only other thing that he had left Mirkwood with had been his most prized possession, the ring Thranduil and his mother had given him when he reached his majority and took up his princely duty. It symbolised his status within Mirkwood, his position as Crown Prince and more importantly, it was the last thing his mother had given him before she was killed by Orcs. He had traded the ring for a nights' stay in an inn during a particularly violent storm. He had cried himself to sleep that night in his warm, comfortable bed, knowing the last piece of his true identity had been bartered away.

Sighing at the very possibility that he would soon be back out in the cold with nothing but his horse, Legolas untied the dirty, frayed ends of the bandage and began to slowly unwind the material, feeling Elrond's eyes fixed on him, studying his every action.

As he unwrapped the almost painfully tight bandages, he sighed in relief. As necessary as the tight cloth was, it was horribly uncomfortable and did nothing to ease his suffering. Finally, the long bandages approached their final layer and Legolas pulled the thin cloth off of himself. He closed his eyes and slumped slightly, awaiting Elrond's reaction.

A gasp escaped Legolas' lips when he saw what the bandages had been hiding. A part of him was blissfully relieved that there were no gaping wounds on his love but the actual problem was far, far worse. The normally flat, perfectly toned stomach was definitely rounded, forming a quite prominent bump that stood out starkly against the rest of his overly thin frame. The bandages had clearly been used to press the bump down but from its size and the look of relief currently on Legolas' face, it must have been hellishly uncomfortable.

"Legolas," Elrond breathed in amazement.

Taking a deep breath – something that had been previously prevented by the tight fabric wound around his middle – Legolas unnecessarily explained, "I'm pregnant."

Elrond just stared at the swelling in stunned silence. He had seen male pregnancies before in Elves although it was relatively rare, but to witness Legolas in this state was extremely disturbing. "I…I can see that," he finally managed to stutter. "How did this happen?" Legolas looked up at him incredulously. "I mean, I know _how_ it happened but…" Elrond finally looked up to meet Legolas' eyes. He asked the question he feared to be answered. "How far along are you?"

Anger flared in Legolas' eyes then, knowing the implication. "Five months."

Elrond quickly did the calculations in his head. "Then I'm…"

"Yes, Elrond, you're the father," Legolas snapped, angry at the suggestion that he had been unfaithful to the person he loved. "How could you even ask…?" He snatched the sheet off the bed and wrapped it around himself before struggling to force his weakened body up off the bed. He managed to get to his feet and turned to face a startled Elrond. "I knew it was a mistake coming here. I thought…I thought you could help me but clearly I was mistaken." He hated the words leaving his mouth; he knew that he wouldn't survive if he was forced out into the cold again. He desperately wanted to stay in Rivendell, to have the warmth and security it offered but his anger and his pride made him reckless with his words.

Elrond also stood up and walked over to the trembling prince. "I can help you. And it wasn't a mistake you coming here; I'm glad you came," he said gently. Legolas seemed to calm down at this and looked up into Elrond's kind eyes. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course you can."

"It doesn't take five months to travel from Mirkwood to Imladris, so why did it take you so long to get here?"

Legolas sighed, suddenly looking defeated. "When I returned home I started to feel unwell and after a month or so of getting sick, Ada found out and made me go see a healer. It didn't take them long to come up with the diagnosis. I think I already knew, deep down. I could feel it, growing inside me. Ada was furious. I've never seen him so angry. He literally threw me out of Mirkwood and told me never to return." It was hard remembering his father's cold words but Elrond did have a right to know.

"It only takes about a month to get from Mirkwood to here. What about the other three?" Elrond asked.

Looking down at the floor almost in shame, Legolas answered, "I didn't immediately head for Imladris. I went to other places first: Lothlorien, Lake Town, a couple of human towns. I travelled around for a while."

"Travelled around? How could you even ride in this condition?" Elrond exclaimed.

"I am not injured, Elrond," Legolas smiled ever so slightly.

"No, but you look half starved." Legolas took a moment to glance down at himself. It was true that he could hardly remember when he hadn't felt hungry.

"There wasn't much chance to feast on the road."

"Why didn't you come straight here when you were banished from Mirkwood? And why didn't you remain in Lorien if you were unwell? Surely Galadriel could have helped you."

"I didn't even get past the guards."

"I don't understand." For the most part, Mirkwood and Lothlorien were allies; not to mention that Legolas was a much-loved figure in the Elven Realms. Few people could refuse his charm or that sweet smile.

"My father is a very powerful king."

Thranduil had ordered that Legolas not be allowed entry to the allied realms, Elrond realised. How the king could do that to his own son during his time of vulnerability was beyond the Elven Lord.

"Then why not come straight to me?"

"I…I was scared," Legolas confessed in a timid, wavering voice.

"Of me?" Legolas nodded slightly, shifting uncomfortably under Elrond's sharp gaze. "I'm more frightening then the prospect of going through this all on your own?"

"I was scared you would reject me."

Elrond looked genuinely surprised at this. "You thought I would send you away?"

Legolas nodded again. "I thought my father had gotten to you too. I could handle being rejected by everyone else I considered friends but I couldn't stand being turned away by you," Legolas answered, tears choking his voice and pooling in his tired eyes.

Elrond smiled shakily at this admission and placed his hand on Legolas' cheek, stroking the cold, pale skin with his thumb. "I would never turn you away. I love you. You know that, right?" The tears swimming in clear blue eyes finally fell, trailing down his face. Elrond gently wiped them away with his fingers before coming closer and gently kissing Legolas' passive lips. The prince didn't return the kiss but closed his eyes in relief. When Elrond pulled back, he smiled as Legolas opened his eyes. "I'm going to look after you now, all right?"

With a nod, Legolas shakily said, "Thank you."

Now that the serious part of the discussion was over, a warm grin spread over Elrond's face and he had to keep from laughing aloud with joy. "We're going to be parents," he beamed. At any other time, Elrond's joy would have been infectious but Legolas was too tired to share the feeling of elation, so he just nodded and smiled thinly. "I can't believe it. I honestly never thought I would be a father again. After the twins and Arwen grew up, it just wasn't the same but there will be a baby in Imladris again." Legolas smiled again at him and suddenly the Elven Lord looked tentative as he asked, "May I?" He gestured to the swelling.

"Of course," Legolas granted rather reluctantly, slowly pulling the edges of the sheet apart, exposing his stomach. Elrond reached forward, placing his hands on the swelling and smiling broadly at the sensation. The smile on Elrond's face couldn't possibly have gotten any wider as he felt every inch of the swelling where his child now grew. Legolas allowed the touching as Elrond's hands were gentle and warm on his aching stomach and icy skin. He was, however, too emotionally drained and too exhausted to share in his partner's excitement.

Once he had felt every inch of his love's stomach, Elrond finally looked up, expecting Legolas to share in his wonder. The prince was just staring blankly in front of him, his face expressionless. When he felt Elrond's gaze on him though he looked down, forcing a smile onto his lips.

Elrond stood up straight, his smile dimming slightly. "I'm sorry, melleth." Legolas shook his head gently, dismissing the apology. "Are you all right?"

"Just tired," Legolas answered softly.

Elrond could have kicked himself. Of course the young Elf was tired. Not only was he five months into a pregnancy but he had been on the road for months without proper food or rest. It was a wonder he was still able to stand up. And here was Elrond, the best healer in Middle Earth according to some, keeping his exhausted love standing whilst he indulged his curiosity.

"I'm sorry, Legolas. Here, sit down." Taking Legolas' arm, Elrond led him to sit on the edge of the bed and the prince did so gladly. Elrond sat with him, pulling his hair back from his face. It was filthy dirty as was most of the Elf's body from weeks of non-stop travel. "You look to be in need of a good meal and bath."

Legolas nodded and smiled to himself. "That does sound good."

"Do you think you can stay awake long enough to eat something?" Elrond asked kindly.

"I'll try," Legolas replied even though his body screamed out for sleep.

"Then I'll go and get you something to eat and find you some clean clothes to wear. I think these ones have seen better days," he said, picking up Legolas' discarded shirt and cloak. "You just stay here and I'll be back as soon as I can." Elrond paused only to kiss Legolas' cold forehead before rushing to the door.

Now that he was left alone, Legolas suddenly felt the adrenaline of his arrival in Imladris and the revelation of his condition to his love beginning to fade. His head was spinning nauseatingly as it had been doing for months. Worried that he might just topple off the bed, Legolas struggled back so that he was properly on the large bed and slowly lowered himself down so he was lying on his side.

For too long he had been grabbing only a couple of hours' sleep on the hard, occasionally frozen, ground. Even the couple of times he had managed to sleep in a bed he had not felt this comfortable since his dismissal from Mirkwood's palace.

The prince tried to stay awake, he really did. But with the wonderfully soft mattress and crisp sheets beneath him, the plump pillows cushioning his head and the feeling of a dry, warm blanket around him, his eyes closed on their own accord. Within minutes of lying down, Legolas was fast asleep once more.

When Elrond returned ten minutes later bearing clean clothes and a bowl of warm soup, he found the young blonde Elf lost in the world of Elven dreams. The Lord of Imladris couldn't resist a smile at the sight of his love curled up on the big bed sound asleep. He placed the bowl on the table and draped the clothes over the end of the bed. Even though he supposed he should have woken the prince so he could get cleaned up, Elrond just didn't have the heart to disturb him when he looked so peaceful.

"All right, mellon nin, we'll do it your way," Elrond whispered kindly. Noticing the prince hadn't thought to remove his wet, muddy boots before lying down, Elrond gently pulled the sheet up a little and carefully pulled the leather boots off, placing them on the floor at the end of the bed so Legolas could easily reach them if he wanted. Elrond then gently pulled off the prince's wet socks, revealing dirty, cold feet. Elrond then lowered his feet carefully back on the bed, a little concerned by the iciness of the prince's white skin.

Reaching over, Elrond felt Legolas' face to find it no warmer than when he had arrived. So he decided that it would be best to try and get the cold Elf into dry clothing. He wasn't going to wake Legolas if he could at all help it so he carefully lifted the sheet away, having to disentangle his hands from the warm cover.

Elrond decided it was pointless to try and clean the prince up. He deserved to rest for a while. But he really did need to get warm and that meant getting him out of wet clothes. Very carefully, Elrond eased Legolas' leggings down his legs, pausing when he noticed that they were covered in bruises. It didn't seem to be too bad though so he decided to ignore it for the time being.

Once the prince was devoid of clothes he clearly felt better as he sighed softly and shifted onto his back to get more comfortable, for the time being, oblivious to Elrond's presence. He smiled down at the prince as he turned over in his sleep. It always felt good to have Legolas back in his arms again after he had been away for a while. But now Elrond had an extra reason to be pleased. Legolas brought with him his future son. Even though the prince didn't seem too excited about it right then, Elrond couldn't hide his elation. Maybe the younger Elf just needed to rest for a while and let everything that had happened properly sink in.

Elrond picked up the clean night clothes he had brought with him and gently sat down on the bed, reaching for the fluffy towel he had also brought. He wiped it over Legolas' body, drying off the cold rainwater that had seeped through his clothes. Legolas remained almost completely unresponsive, only shifting slightly when Elrond moved him gently into a position he found less comfortable.

Despite the seriousness of the situation and his concern over Legolas' condition, Elrond couldn't stop a smile crossing his face when he felt Legolas' swollen abdomen. He could almost feel the life growing inside the young Elf. A frown creased his face when he noticed the size of the swelling. From the little experience he had of male Elven pregnancies, Legolas was far too small for the fifth month, probably due to the fact that he hadn't eaten properly. With the baby draining all his strength, it really was no wonder the prince looked so bad.

"We're going to have to feed your father up," Elrond whispered to Legolas' stomach. He grinned at his own actions, wondering what people would say if they caught their mighty lord talking to a foetus.

Continuing the dry Legolas off, Elrond gently checked that the Elf wasn't suffering any further injuries and was relieved to find that apart from a few bruises he appeared to be well enough. He desperately needed proper food though, and a lot of rest.

Finally, Elrond dried Legolas' face off, tenderly patting him dry. The prince stirred when Elrond dried his hair off a little but he didn't wake properly, merely gave a hard shiver at being completely uncovered and sighed wearily.

As soon as Legolas' freezing cold body was dry, Elrond, as gently as he could, pulled Legolas' clean trousers on. They were a pair he had borrowed from his son as he knew that Elladan was built in much the same way as Legolas and despite the swelling Elrond was sure that the prince would be comfortable in them, at least until they could buy some proper ones.

Upon feeling someone lifting his legs off the bed, Legolas actually managed to force his eyes open, although he couldn't imagine why anyone would want to disturb his peaceful sleep. He looked down to see Elrond sidling trousers up his legs. When the Elven Lord felt eyes on him, he smiled up.

"I was trying not to wake you," he explained quietly. Legolas was too tired to do anything but mumble something incomprehensible and close his eyes. Elrond just shrugged at this and finished pulling his trousers up. He then reached for the long-sleeved nightshirt then gently slipped his arm beneath Legolas' bare shoulders and eased him up. Legolas' head fell back against Elrond's shoulder as he eased the prince's arms into the sleeves. At the pulling and tugging of fabric, Legolas moaned and opened his eyes to blink blearily up at his saviour.

"Elrond?" he asked wearily.

"Shh, I'm just getting you changed," Elrond explained as he straightened out the shirt.

"I can dress," Legolas murmured.

"You would need to open your eyes first," the dark-haired Elf told him and Legolas just mumbled something that Elrond didn't catch. With a smile, Elrond dragged a couple of pillows from the other side of the bed and plumped them against the headboard. He laid Legolas back against the pillows and the prince opened his eyes halfway. "Is that uncomfortable?" Elrond asked in concern at the blonde's waking.

Legolas shook his head, "No."

Elrond started buttoning up the front of the shirt, pleased that it accommodated the swelling quite nicely. "How's that?"

"Fine," Legolas told him simply. He was too tired to care what he was wearing but was glad to be out of the wet cloth.

"Are you hungry? I brought you some soup. It's still warm." Elrond picked up the bowl and removed the cover to reveal the tantalising smell. "Do you think you can eat a little?" Surprisingly, Legolas nodded, the thought of hot food suddenly very appealing now his nausea had passed. "All right, here," he said, placing the bowl on Legolas' lap, balanced on the silver tray, and placed a spoon in his hand. "Can you manage?"

Taking a spoonful of soup, Legolas savoured the warmth it brought to his chilled body. Despite his exhausted mind screaming at him for sleep, he made short work of the soup before him and the chunk of bed that accompanied it. He scraped every last drop of the thick broth from the bowl and would have licked it clean had not propriety forbade it.

As he continued scraping the remains from the bottom of the dish, he glanced up to find Elrond watching him in amusement. His hand stilled mid-scrape and he smiled sheepishly. "Sorry," he said, suddenly embarrassed at his lack of table manners.

"Don't apologise; I like watching you eat." Once Legolas had gotten every possible bit of broth from the bowl he put the spoon down in disappointment. Now he had tasted food, he realised just how starving hungry he was and he could easily have eaten his way through several more bowls of the tasty broth. This didn't escape Elrond's notice and he explained, "You shouldn't eat too much too soon if you haven't had a full stomach in a long while." Legolas nodded and Elrond took the tray off him before handing him a glass of water, which the prince slowly drained. "How do you feel now?" the healer asked.

"Tired," the prince sighed, his eyelids growing heavy again.

"Then you should sleep," Elrond suggested. "Shuffle down a bit, you'll be more comfortable." Following Elrond's advice, Legolas slid down so he was lying flat on the bed and his partner readjusted the pillows for him. "There. Better?" The blonde Elf nodded and closed his eyes wearily.

"Elrond? It's cold." He muttered and Elrond noticed that he was still shivering slightly. It made the elder Elf wonder just how long he had spent fully exposed to the harsh winter weather.

"I'll get you another blanket." He went to one of the room's closets and rummaged around on the top shelf for a blanket. It wasn't as if they usually had those lying around as Elves didn't normally feel the cold and only the healing halls stocked them. Luckily, the experienced healer in Elrond ensured he was prepared for anything and right at the back of the closet he found a thin blanket.

Worried that the chilled young prince would still be cold, Elrond also grabbed the thickest dressing gown he owned.

"This is the only blanket I have to hand but put this on, it's thick and warm," Elrond smiled as he once more eased Legolas into a sitting position and helped him slip his arms into the long sleeves and tied the belt loosely at the front. The big dressing gown swamped Legolas' overly thin body but at least it was warm and comfortable. After getting Legolas settled back down in bed, Elrond rummaged through his own chest of drawers and found a pair of thick socks. He uncovered Legolas' feet and slipped the socks onto still dirty feet. He saw Legolas smile in vague amusement as the too-big socks were placed gently on his ice cold feet. It felt so good to be warm again.

Once he was bundled up in warm clothes, Elrond covered the prince with the blanket and tucked it around him. Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, Elrond smiled when he realised that the prince was once more sound asleep. He tenderly stroked the blonde Elf's hair back then bent forward to place a gentle kiss on his forehead. "Sleep well, Melleth," he whispered before settling down in the chair next to the bed.

After an hour or so of watching his love sleep, Elrond finally stood up and almost regretfully crept across the room and left his chambers. He went straight to the kitchens and made himself a mug of his favourite soothing herbal tea. The chef always made sure there was plenty of it, knowing how her Lord loved it. He picked out a sweet pastry and took the plate and mug to the long wooden table to sit quietly; he did his best thinking in this room at night with food and tea. Tonight though, his thoughts were pleasant ones. They were of having his love back with him, where he had always belonged, and of the child he carried. Who knew that one last night of passion could produce such a miracle? The thoughts of the actual reality of the pregnancy and birth could be pushed from is mind for the time being, as neither of them were easy and Elrond knew that the younger Elf had a long and difficult time ahead of him.

The thought of his son or daughter growing up in the halls of Imladris brought another stupid grin to Elrond's face, which he didn't even attempt to supress as he sipped at his hot tea.

"My Lord?" Glorfindel's voice interrupted his pleasant vision of the future and he forced his bubbling excitement back down. "Forgive me for disturbing you, sir."

"You are not disturbing me. Come in," Elrond invited his old friend and Glorfindel took a seat opposite his lord. "Did the diplomats all get back to their rooms all right?"

"There were a few complaints but Erestor placated them."

"Good."

Glorfindel waited a long minute before asking the burning question. "My Lord, how is Prince Legolas?"

Another almost childlike grin spread across Elrond's face, startling the seneschal somewhat; he had been expecting concern or worry, not joy.

"This is not to leave this room yet, is that understood?" Elrond warned before even thinking of revealing Legolas' secret. Glorfindel nodded, suddenly growing anxious. "Legolas is…with child."

Wide eyed, Glorfindel asked, "I beg your pardon?"

"About five months along."

"I…I don't know what to…How is this possible?"

"Surely you're not so sheltered…"

Glorfindel held up his hand to halt that thought. "I know _how _it happened, Elrond. I just meant…I had no idea the prince was able to bear children."

"True, it is not common knowledge."

"You knew about this…before?"

"I was aware. Legolas told me the first time we made love. We were always very careful."

"Five months. So the last time he was in Rivendell…"

"Yes, I fathered the child, Glorfindel, if that's what you're trying to ask."

Glorfindel nodded his head slowly. Although he and the rest of Imladris knew of the deep love and blossoming relationship between their lord and the young prince of Mirkwood, the couple were fiercely private and protective of their relationship and it was rarely flaunted in public or even amongst their closest family members and friends.

"And this is a good thing, my Lord? Both you and the prince are happy?" Glorfindel asked, already able to guess Elrond's feelings on the subject; the usually refined lord was practically glowing with excitement and pride.

"I am happy, Glorfindel. Legolas is…overwhelmed still but I have no doubt that he will come round," Elrond said, finishing off his cooling tea.

"This certainly explains why Thranduil disowned him," Glorfindel mused, not missing the flash of anger in Elrond's usually passive brown eyes. "Are you not worried about the king coming here, sir?"

"If he sets foot inside Imladris with intent to hurt Legolas, I'll make sure he regrets it. I don't care what Mirkwood throws at us, Legolas will be kept safe inside this sanctuary. Thranduil is not going to hurt his son ever again."

"That could cause us problems, Elrond. King Thranduil is a very powerful leader of a very strong army. He could force Legolas from Imladris if he chose," Glorfindel stated, ever the pragmatic diplomat.

"I will keep both Legolas and our child safe, Glorfindel; just as I would do for any of my citizens."

Glorfindel smiled knowingly. "I expected nothing less, my Lord," the ancient Elda said wisely. "What with the excellent news that you are to become a father once more, do you not think you should be celebrating with a little more than herbal tea and pastries?"

Taking another bite of the cake before him, Elrond replied, "It doesn't feel right to celebrate without Legolas."

"Will the prince be all right? He didn't look at all well upon his arrival."

"Male pregnancies are not easy on the body at the best of times and he has been pushing himself almost past endurance. He's exhausted, but a few days in bed spent recovering should help a great deal."

"And the sickness? Is that normal?"

Elrond smiled and answered, "The Elven version of morning sickness."

"At night time?"

The healer actually laughed at this. "Unfortunately morning sickness can strike at any time of day or night. Have you never encountered a pregnant maiden?"

Looking rather affronted by this jibe, Glorfindel scowled before speaking. "Only in passing and they never went into vivid detail of their condition."

Elrond just smiled at this. Thankfully, he had more experience with pregnancy and raising children than his seneschal. Not only did he have three children of his own already but he had many hundreds of years of healing experience behind him and had delivered a fair few babies in his time. He had seen considerably less male pregnancies so was rather nervous about Legolas' predicament. They were extremely rare and extremely dangerous for both child and father. The pregnancy itself was notoriously difficult – twelve months of suffering and discomfort – followed by a painful birth and exhausting after-effects. A shocking number of fathers died during the long birth or the children didn't make it and the parents fell into grief. Those who did survive along with their child never entirely recovered from the process.

The thought that Legolas had very nearly been forced to go through this all alone sent a cold stab of sympathy pierce Elrond's heart. Now though he would make sure Legolas was well and that their child survived. Everything would be fine.

"Elrond?" Glorfindel's voice brought Elrond from his thoughts. "Are you all right, sir?"

"I'm fine, Glorfindel. I just have to get back and check on Legolas."

"Of course, my Lord. Is there anything I can do?" Glorfindel asked, standing as Elrond did.

"Just make sure the prince is not disturbed for a while. He needs proper rest," Elrond told his seneschal. "And I'm sure that after the official announcement he will appreciate one of your infamous celebratory parties."

"Then I shall start working on one, my Lord. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Glorfindel."

After leaving the kitchen, Elrond immediately returned to his rooms and crept inside, pleased to find Legolas still sound asleep under his mass of clothes and blankets. Approaching the bed quietly, Elrond placed his hand on Legolas' cheek to check that he had warmed up a little. The pale skin was still slightly chilled but no longer icy to the touch. The prince didn't so much as stir under the scrutiny of his lover, which concerned Elrond a little but there wasn't much he could do about that.

Elrond stepped silently into the bathroom, closing the door so his movements didn't disturb Legolas, and quickly changed into his own nightclothes. Upon returning to the bedroom, Elrond quietly closed the curtains so the morning sunlight – by now just a few short hours away – wouldn't disturb Legolas' rest then extinguished the one oil lamp that remained burning, throwing the room into darkness. That didn't worry Elrond and he very gently pulled the bed sheets up and slipped into the bed beside a sleeping Legolas. He made himself more comfortable beside the younger Elf but Legolas didn't even acknowledge his presence, too lost in the world of Elven dreams.

Soon, watching the regular rise and fall of his lover's chest beneath the many layers cocooning him, Elrond's eyes glazed over in reverie and he too entered the land of dreams, mostly involving his and Legolas' future together along with their child.

**To Be Continued…**


	3. Reprieve

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****Yes this is an m-preg, as in male pregnancy. I know anatomically it is impossible in the real world but I like the idea (mainly for the Legolas suffering that goes with it). Please, if you are dead set against this kind of thing then don't read then complain that you weren't warned.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created. Promise.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 3 ~ Reprieve **

**OIOI**

When Elrond woke, he had to take a moment to remember everything that had happened the night before. He looked over to find the young prince of Mirkwood laid fast asleep beside him. At some point during the night, Legolas had rolled onto his side so he was facing Elrond although he kept his distance, not straying to Elrond's side of the bed, and his arm was wrapped protectively around his stomach.

Elrond smiled at the sight. Had it not been for the fact that Legolas was sleeping with his eyes closed, he would have looked just as he always did. Only when one looked closely was it possible to see the signs of pain, exhaustion and despair visible in a tense figure, thin frame, pale features and haunted look. Not to mention the state of his hair. Normally shimmering blonde, it was now almost caked in mud, making it look more brown than blonde, and lank from being wet for so long and drying slowly. It hung in twisted strands over the Elf's shoulders in stark contrast to his pale face and the crisp white pillow beneath his head. The prince needed a good, long bath when he woke, Elrond thought.

Even though usually Legolas was up at the crack of dawn – very often before Elrond – now he remained completely undisturbed by the warm sunlight that only slightly brightened the room through the small slit between the drapes. Elrond couldn't ever remember the energetic young Wood Elf sleeping in past six in the morning and yet now, at gone ten, he remained sound asleep. And Elrond was perfectly happy to let him stay there. Even now in sleep the poor Elf looked exhausted, the dark circles beneath his eyes making him look even worse. How long had it been since the Elf had last slept properly Elrond didn't know but he obviously needed to catch up on some rest.

Shifting slightly, Elrond propped himself up on one elbow so he could watch his love sleep more comfortably. He reached out and with gentle fingers and ran them through Legolas' hair. The prince turned his head slightly towards the tender movement and gave a small mumble of pleasure. Elrond smiled but drew back, concerned that his actions would disturb the prince's sleep.

As much as Elrond would have liked to have lain in bed all day long, watching Legolas sleep, he still had diplomats to talk to and they wouldn't display too much patience, especially having been dismissed early the night before. Very carefully, so his movements wouldn't wake Legolas, Elrond slipped out of bed, replacing the sheets to ensure the pregnant Elf remained warm.

After getting washed and dressed as quietly as he could in the bathroom, Elrond returned to the bedroom and checked on Legolas before leaving the room. The prince hadn't even moved. Elrond quietly left the room and walked briskly towards the breakfast hall, knowing that, despite the hour, his advisors would still be waiting for him. He was proven correct as he was greeted by a harassed-looking Erestor and an amused Glorfindel.

"Good morning, my Lord," the seneschal chimed merrily, interrupting Erestor's rant about timekeeping, which he had been annoying Glorfindel with for the past two hours.

"Good morning, Glorfindel. Erestor," Elrond smiled, sitting down at the head of the table and immediately helping himself to a plate of fruit, pointedly ignoring Erestor's annoyed glare.

Eventually, the major domo could hold his tongue no longer and he stepped forward. "My Lord, it is after eleven. Where have you been?" he blurted out.

Elrond looked casually up at his anxious assistant, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of apple, trying to decide whether to trust the dark-haired Elf with the truth. He had never doubted his shrewd advisor with anything before and he wasn't about to start now.

"I was with Legolas," the Elven Lord finally answered.

Erestor's grey eyes widened in surprise; not much happened in Imladris without him knowing about it and that fact had slipped by him. "Prince Legolas is in Imladris?"

"Yes, he arrived last night."

"Why wasn't I informed of this?" he demanded, looking towards the seneschal for an answer.

However, it was Elrond who explained, "Because the prince asked that his presence not be announced and you will follow that command. Glorfindel can explain why whilst I get back to negotiations." Without waiting for questions or comments, Elrond stood and left the room.

OIO

The negotiations dragged on for the remainder of the morning but Elrond found his attention wandering, becoming less focused on what was being said by both his own diplomats or those from Gondor. Every time he pulled his mind back to the tedious talks he rapidly became distracted by thoughts of Legolas. Whereas the night before he had been enraptured by the dream of the prince bringing him another member of the family, in the cold light of day it all seemed suddenly very real and more than a little disconcerting. What had been mild and dismissible concerns about the state of Legolas' health had not turned into full-blown worry and panic fluttered in his chest. The possibility that Legolas might die made Elrond's heart freeze in horror. He didn't know what he would do if anything happened to the younger Elf.

Erestor's voice calling his name dragged him out of his thoughts and he looked up from the table to meet slightly concerned grey eyes.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" Elrond asked.

"Just that it is past noon and perhaps time to break for lunch," Erestor said.

"Lunch? An excellent idea," the Elven Lord smiled at his guests, hoping they hadn't noticed his distraction.

"Refreshments have been set up in the dining hall for your convenience," the major domo now addressed all the diplomats rather than just his lord. All but Elrond rose from their seats and filed out of the door, relieved at being excused from the talks. "My Lord? Are you not going to join them?" Erestor prompted as he tidied up the papers spread across the table.

Standing, Elrond said, "No. Please send some food and tea to my rooms. I'm going to sit with Legolas for a while."

"You're not staying with the diplomats, sir?"

"Glorfindel can take care of that. Send for me when I'm needed again." Before the advisor could protest, Elrond had swept from the room. Legolas had been to Imladris many, many times over the years and Elrond had always been happier when the prince was at his side. And yet he had never been distracted before. Their relationship never got in the way of their respective duties, both always made absolutely sure of that. It worried Erestor that his normally attentive lord was so concerned that he wasn't even focusing properly on his negotiations. Glorfindel had explained exactly what had happened to the prince of Mirkwood, including the pregnancy, and to say he had been shock was a massive understatement. Of course, he had always assumed that the pair had indulged in a sexual relationship but for Legolas to become pregnant…It was hard to fathom.

OIO

Elrond didn't bother knocking, guessing that Legolas would still be asleep. He was proven correct as he stepped into the bedroom. The blonde Elf's sleep had obviously been a little more restless than when Elrond left him as the sheets and blankets had become tangled and ruffled and he lay in the middle of the bed. He was on his side, one arm wrapped around his stomach and the other lay flat, his fingers draped over the edge of the bed. Clearly he was a bit warmer now as he had pushed the covers down so they only covered his legs now. He remained fast asleep though, oblivious to anything going on around him.

Elrond sat down on the edge of the bed to be close to his love. He gently stroked Legolas' cheek, pleased to find it significantly warmer now. A small amount of colour had returned to his skin although he was still worryingly pale. At least the prince looked more comfortable and was no longer shivering.

A knock from the door startled Elrond from his thoughts and he jumped up to answer it. A slightly confused servant handed her lord the tray of food she had been ordered to bring and bowed. Elrond smiled his thanks and dismissed the servant. It wasn't exactly normal for him to take his meals in his room especially when there were many diplomats in Rivendell so he could understand the servant's confusion. Even when Legolas was visiting they ate together in the dining halls.

When Elrond entered the bedroom again, he was mildly surprised to find half-open blue eyes watching him almost wearily. Not wanting to startle Legolas, Elrond put the tray down and smiled down at the Elf.

"Hello," he welcomed as Legolas became slowly more alert. "How are you feeling today?" Elrond perched on the edge of the bed.

"Where am I?" Legolas asked in a mumble.

"Rivendell, melleth nin. You can last night, remember?" Elrond explained kindly.

"Rivendell?" Legolas asked, looking around the familiar room. He'd spent a lot of time in this room but it had never looked as good as it did right then. Suddenly, the events of the night before came back to him and he struggled up into a slumped sitting position. Elrond wisely kept his distance, knowing how much the prince hated being fussed over. "I…I fell asleep," Legolas told him, his voice still a little croaky.

"Yes. You looked so peaceful this morning that I didn't like to disturb you."

"What time is it?"

"Nearly two in the afternoon," Elrond answered gently, reaching for the glass of water on the bedside table. "Water?" he offered.

"Thank you." The prince eagerly downed the cool water. Elrond took the glass from him and a contented sigh escaped Legolas. "Warm," the blonde Elf mumbled.

"Excuse me?"

"I said it's warm in here," Legolas smiled.

"I'm glad you're comfortable. Are you hungry? I brought food," Elrond told him, gesturing to the tray.

Legolas considered this for a moment before a small smile graced his pale lips. "Honestly, I'm starving."

Elrond laughed softly and picked up the tray. "Is fruit to your liking?"

"I'll eat anything right now," the younger Elf confessed almost shyly. He wasn't known for indulging in excesses but months without a proper meal had made him forget his pride for a moment.

"All right, but eat with caution. Here," he said handing Legolas a plate of food, which he slowly devoured with determination. Elrond ate his own lunch more leisurely, mainly content to watch Legolas tuck into his meal of fresh fruit and whey bread – a healthy and fulfilling lunch. Elrond was still a little concerned about his partner's weight.

"You're staring at me again," Legolas told him with a crooked smile.

"Sorry. I'm just glad to have you here." Legolas paused in eating long enough to genuinely smile at his love before returning his concentration to his plate. It didn't take too long for the dish to be empty and Legolas placed it on the bed. "Feel better now?" Elrond smiled.

"That was good," the prince answered, feeling full and comfortable again.

"Well, it was just fruit but I am glad you enjoyed it. Over the course of your pregnancy you have to keep eating regular meals; whatever you want." Legolas nodded, his hand drifting automatically to his stomach. Elrond watched this action and felt a new warmth flood his heart. "Legolas, I'm assuming that you haven't seen a healer yet." Clearly distracted, Legolas shook his head. "Then, will you let me check you over?" A look of utter fear flooded Legolas' eyes, startling Elrond somewhat. "Legolas, what's wrong?" he asked kindly, trying to regain Legolas' trust.

"Nothing," the prince whispered.

"You can't lie to me, mellon nin. Please tell me why you hesitate."

The blonde Elf looked nervously about him, avoiding Elrond's eyes and mulling over his answer. Finally he replied in a soft voice, "I…I don't know. I mean, I'm not sure."

Elrond shifted on the bed, taking his partner's hand in his own. "It's all right to be scared, you know. Given what you've been through – what you're going through – it's natural. Look, I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable in any way. But, Legolas, you have to have a healer examine you. For the child as well as for yourself. Please." Legolas' blue eyes finally drifted up to meet his, although he still looked reluctant. "Listen, if you would prefer to see someone else, a healer less emotionally attached, then you have every right. You do whatever makes you comfortable. Don't feel you're obliged to have me. If you'd like another healer you are welcome to say. I won't be offended, and even if I was, you shouldn't care. You should be worried about yourself, not me, all right?" Legolas nodded, tears forming in his eyes at his lover's kind words. He had almost forgotten what it felt like to be so looked after. "So, shall I fetch a healer for you?"

"No, I want you," Legolas said firmly, his mind made up.

Elrond smiled in appreciation and said, "All right, then. Here I am. You have, according to some, the best healer on Middle Earth, take advantage. Tell me if you have any pain or discomfort as we go along, all right?"

"All right."

"I'll need to see your stomach. Can I lift your shirt?" Legolas nodded, pushing the sheets out of the way and undoing the tie of his borrowed dressing gown before lifting up his shirt to his chest, exposing his swollen stomach. "Thank you. I'm just going to feel, check everything's in order. Let me know if there's any pain." Standing up and leaning over, Elrond pressed gently down, feeling for the child growing inside. Although Legolas tensed when he felt Elrond's hands on him, he remained quiet and still. In truth, he was terrified of the outcome of this examination. During his long journey, he had not exactly taken good care of his health and honestly had rarely given any thought to his baby, instead choosing to put it from his mind. If it wasn't real, he wouldn't have to deal with it, with the fear. Now though, the harsh reality was brought back to him and he was finally forced to face the truth.

Swallowing back a sob, Legolas focused on Elrond. His hands were still warm and gentle but unlike the night before when they had been slow and tentative now they were strong and confident – the hands of a healer.

Elrond was so focused on what he was doing that he didn't notice his patient's struggle with his emotions. He could already feel the baby very clearly. And something else. Something…Elrond stood up straight with a confused look on his face. "Huh," he said as if to himself.

"What?" Legolas asked. When Elrond remained lost in thought and his concerned face started to worry Legolas. What had he found that concerned him so much? "Elrond, what's wrong? Please, you're scaring me."

This startled Elrond from his thoughts and he looked to Legolas. "Forgive me, melleth nin, I didn't mean to alarm you. I was simply trying to recall something." He shook his head, trying to clear it before smiling down at the prince. "Well, as far as I can tell, your babies are healthy enough. Both of them."

"Both?" Legolas asked, although it came out more as a strangled whimper.

"Uh-huh. Twins. Feel," Elrond offered, placing Legolas' hand on his stomach and pressing down so the younger Elf could feel his children.

"Twins?" Legolas asked in wonder. How could he have missed that?

"You know, twins do run in my family."

"That's reassuring," he quipped, running his hand across his stomach.

"You should know that this will make the pregnancy a lot harder. And for two babies you are quite small; you'll need to get your weight back up a bit, plenty of highly nutritious food." Legolas nodded, he still felt the niggle of hunger in his stomach so he didn't think eating would be too much of a problem, although the sickness might be. "Good. Now, I'm going to ask you some questions and I want you to answer them honestly, do you understand?"

"All right."

"Promise me," Elrond asked pointedly.

"Yes, I promise."

"Right. So, tell me where it hurts. And don't say 'nowhere' because I know it's a lie." Legolas looked up at him sheepishly, confirming Elrond's suspicions. "I thought so. What hurts?" Still the young Elf didn't answer, searching his mind for a way to express how much his body hurt without appearing any weaker than Elrond must have already thought him. It proved to be a difficult task.

Elrond remained silent for the first minute of Legolas' hesitation, understanding this was difficult on the proud prince. Very rarely did Legolas share his pains with anyone; most of the time he even kept his hurts from Elrond, the person he was closest to in the world. He hated to admit to his weakness and would maintain the pretence that he was 'fine' even if blood was pouring from his wounds and he was in so much pain he could hardly breathe.

Now though was not the time for unnecessary pride. So, Elrond bravely broke the thoughtful silence. "Legolas, please, mellon nin. There really is nothing you can say that will shock me. Trust me, I have been a healer for a long time and I've heard it all before. Let me help make you more comfortable." Legolas nodded slowly, genuinely touched by Elrond's kindness. "All right, let me guess then." The Elf Lord thought for a moment before smiling knowingly. "It's your back?"

"Yes." It was true; months bent over on a horse with bandages wrapped brutally tight around an enlarged abdomen was enough to give anyone backache. Elrond knew that pregnant mothers often suffered from backache, there was no reason Legolas should be any different.

"All right. What else?" Elrond asked, wanting to compile a mental list of Legolas' maladies.

Legolas sighed, knowing there was no point in hiding anything from his love. "My legs hurt," he admitted quietly.

"That is to be expected after travelling for so long," Elrond assured him gently. "What about your stomach? Any pain?"

"A little but it usually fades after a while."

"When you've rested," Elrond guessed.

"Yes."

"Good. How often did you remove the bandages?"

Legolas looked down at the bed almost shamefully. He knew the tightness around his mid-section was probably damaging to his child but he had been too scared that someone would notice his bump. "About twice." The only time he had even loosened them was the couple of times he had stopped at inns and that had only been for one night.

"Only twice?" Elrond asked in surprise.

"I didn't stop much."

Elrond saw his shame and sadness and smiled softly, taking Legolas' hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Have you felt the babies move yet?"

Legolas looked up sharply; panic flooding his eyes as he searched his memory. He had been so completely focused on reaching somewhere safe that he had paid very little attention to the baby. "No," he almost whispered.

"Well, that's not unusual. Don't worry." Legolas nodded, relaxing a little at Elrond's assurance. He trusted the Elven Lord implicitly. "Now, have you been suffering any nausea, fatigue or dizziness?" Elrond continued. The first was obvious as Legolas had already been sick twice the night before.

"Yes to all," Legolas replied with surprising honesty.

"Is it all the time?"

"Yes. And my head aches," Legolas added.

"I can give you something that will ease the pain and nausea, although it probably won't cure your morning sickness I'm afraid. I'll make you up a couple of remedies and run you a bath. You look like you could use a good wash." Legolas nodded sheepishly. "Hopefully, the warm water should ease some of that aching, make you feel more comfortable. And after that I want you to get some rest."

That sounded like such a good idea. He was filthy and cold and still feeling utterly miserable. Not to mention completely shattered. Even after a few hours solid sleep, he was still tired. He supposed that one nights' sleep wouldn't be enough after so many weeks of virtually no sleep.

"You stay here and I'll run you a nice warm bath," Elrond said softly. Standing, he went to the bathroom and started the bath running, adding some sweet-smelling, relaxing oils. When Elrond returned to the bedroom to tell Legolas that his bath was ready, the prince had dropped off to sleep against his mound of pillows. Smiling, Elrond placed his hand on Legolas' shoulder, calling, "Legolas, your bath is ready." Legolas' eyes slipped open and he looked around himself in confusion. "Legolas?"

"Elrond?" he mumbled.

The Lord of Imladris smiled gently. "You fell asleep, my love," he explained.

"Oh. What time is it?"

"You were only asleep for five minutes, mellon nin." Legolas blinked slowly at him, trying to clear the fog from his mind. "Come on, get cleaned up then you can go back to bed." Elrond took Legolas' hands – worried to find that they were thin and still slightly chilled – and eased him up. They went into the bathroom and Legolas lazily shrugged the thick dressing gown off, shivering slightly at the sudden lack of warmth. Elrond took it from him and draped it over the chair in case Legolas wanted it later. The prince then shakily undid his buttons although his cold, stiff fingers fumbled. Taking pity on him, Elrond offered, "Let me help." He easily undid the buttons and helped Legolas remove the nightshirt.

"Thank you," Legolas smiled gently.

"You're welcome."

Elrond then helped steady him as he pulled the thick socks from his feet and removed his trousers. Once fully undressed, Legolas stepped into the bath and gratefully sank down into the water with a contented sigh. Right away he ducked his head beneath the surface, getting some of the dirt from his long hair. When he resurfaced, Elrond was smiling at him.

Holding out the soap, the dark-haired Elf grinned, "You might need this."

"Thank you," Legolas said and started washing himself, ridding his body of all the dirt he had accumulated over the past couple of months. It felt good once the mud had been cleaned off. He rinsed his hair several times until the grime was gone and it shone beautiful gold once more. He worked through his long hair with a comb, working out the many tangles until it hung smooth and straight down his back.

After giving his entire body one last firm scrub, Legolas finally let himself relax, leaning back with a sigh. The water was a little cooler now but it still felt good. All the while, Elrond had been waiting in the next room, allowing the prince some privacy. He changed the sheets, adding a couple of blankets he'd retrieved from the healing halls to keep Legolas warm. Pregnant male Elves were more susceptible to the cold then normal so no doubt he would need them. He also fetched some more clean clothes, all nice and loose to accommodate his growing stomach. Whilst waiting for the prince, Elrond mixed together a few vials of medication to help with Legolas' pain and nausea.

Just as Elrond was plumping up the pillows on the bed, he heard a soft shuddering from the bathroom. In surprise, Elrond crossed over to the door and listened for a moment before knocking gently and pushing the door open.

"Legolas?" he asked softly.

The younger Elf looked up at the sound of his name, revealing his clean but tear-stained face. A rasping sob escaped his pale lips as he hugged himself tightly.

Walking over to the prince, Elrond perched on the edge of the bath. "Legolas? Are you all right?" he asked, placing his hand on Legolas' cheek. "What's wrong?"

Legolas shook his head, wiping the tears away with the back of his hand. "Nothing," he said with a shaky voice. He forced a watery smile onto his lips and said, "I'm sorry. I'm just tired."

Elrond nodded understandingly. "Come back to bed then. You can get some more sleep. Are you ready to get out of there?" Legolas nodded so Elrond offered his hand and helped the young Elf stand up before handing him a towel. The dripping wet prince wrapped the warm, fluffy towel around himself and stepped out of the now murky water, his balance aided by Elrond's strong, steady hands.

"I found you some more clean clothes. They are borrowed, of course, but they should fit. We'll have to get some proper clothes made for you at a…" Elrond turned around when he heard another rasping sob and found Legolas standing with his hand clamped over his mouth as if in shock at the noise that had escaped him and he was desperately trying to prevent another leaving his lips.

He found the sudden force of his grief wrenched another choked cry and he lowered teary eyes to avoid Elrond's gaze. His whole body was shuddering with the effort of suppressing his grief. Despite his efforts though, another heart-wrenching sob slipped past his defences and Elrond could no longer stand passively by.

Taking a striding step forward, Elrond pulled the younger Elf into his arms and held him tight, whispering his name. At the feel of strong arms securely holding him close to a broad, warm chest and hands smoothing down his back, the barriers broke and the pent-up emotion poured forth and he cried hard and noisily into Elrond's robes.

Elrond just held him close, rubbing his back and whispering reassurances and platitudes, letting the prince cry. He swayed gently on the spot, hoping to offer more comfort. After months of cruel and painful isolation it felt good to be held by someone else, to know someone else cared about him, that there was someone who would take care of him. He clung to Elrond's robes, knowing that the closest thing he had to family wouldn't think any less of him for this momentary lapse of control. He could always be himself around Elrond. The Elven Lord had always been privy to his weaknesses. The proud young prince of Mirkwood trusted him enough to come to him with any problems and Elrond felt privileged to be his confidant.

They stayed that way for some time before Legolas' cries died down and he stood in Elrond's warm arms, feeling even more drained now than previously; now both physically and emotionally.

Elrond pulled back a little, his hand tenderly wiping tears off slightly flushed cheeks. He smiled when Legolas turned watery blue eyes to him and despite the tiredness clouding them he also saw a glimmer of embarrassment.

"Feel a bit better for that?" Elrond asked kindly.

Legolas nodded but placed his head back against Elrond's chest, listening to the lord's steadily beating heart and rhythmic breathing. It was surprisingly soothing and lulled him into a relaxed state of calm. He sighed heavily, saying softly, "I miss Ada. I wish he was here. I wish he didn't hate me."

Elrond let his eyes fall closed in sympathy. He would never understand how any father could abandon their child, no matter what they had done. Personally, he would never turn any of his children away if they were in trouble.

Legolas obviously mistook Elrond's silence for disapproval as he shook his head and pulled away slightly, choking on a laugh. "I'm sorry, that sounds really childish," he said sadly.

Elrond looked down in surprise and took Legolas' hands in his own. "It is not childish," he said firmly, moving his hands up to cup Legolas' cheeks. "I wish I could make him see…" He trailed off, not knowing of any consolation that would help. Instead he pulled Legolas towards him and hugged him tightly. "I'm so sorry, mellon nin. But I am going to be right here for you, no matter what. I promise I'll never leave you."

Another shuddering sob escaped Legolas and he said, "Thank you."

Elrond pulled back again and kissed Legolas softly. The prince leaned into the kiss, gladly returning it. It never grew passionate as their kisses so often did though. This was about comfort rather than passion.

Once they had pulled apart, Legolas leaned against his love once more. "Come on, I think you should try to get some rest now," Elrond told him, rubbing his hands up and down Legolas' towel-covered arms to generate some heat as he could now see the prince shivering a little again. "I've mixed you up something to ease the pain and nausea."

"Thank you," Legolas said, closing his eyes.

"Come on," the Elven lord said, leading Legolas back into the bedroom. He helped the blonde towel himself dry then gave him a hand getting into clean clothes. Once dressed, he pulled on the thick borrowed dressing gown and tied it around his stomach. "Drink this," Elrond told him, holding out a vial of liquid. Legolas hesitated somewhat in taking it though and it was not difficult to figure out why. "Don't worry, it won't harm the children," the healer assured.

Reassured by the words, Legolas drank down the mixture, cringing slightly at the bitter taste, then handed the vial back to Elrond. "That is disgusting," he gasped.

"Yes but it will help, I promise."

"Elrond, I'm hungry," Legolas told his partner sheepishly.

"Then I shall fetch you some food. Unfortunately, after that I have to get back to a meeting. I have tarried here far longer than I intended and no doubt my absence at the head of the negotiating table will be conspicuous."

Legolas looked up in surprise. Not once had he thought that he was keeping Elrond from something important, although he should have guessed. Elrond was Lord of Imladris; of course he had duties and responsibilities to attend to beyond babysitting him.

"I'm sorry," he said, feeling more than a little foolish. "You don't have to serve me. Please, return to your meeting."

Elrond pulled Legolas against him again, wrapping him in strong arms. "It is my pleasure to serve you, Legolas. You and our children." Legolas smiled gently into Elrond's robes. "Come and lie back down. After you've eaten your food I want you to sleep some more. You must be exhausted." Legolas had no need to confirm or deny this; his body was still slow and weak, his face pale and dark circles still smudged under his eyes, making him appear almost gaunt.

The healer led Legolas over to the bed and sat him down. "If you command it, my Lord," Legolas said in a mocking voice.

Elrond merely smiled at him and pulled the thick sheets aside. "Climb under. You need to keep warm. I'll be right back with your food." The dark-haired Elf was true to his word; he returned in five minutes carrying a plate of fruits, hoping they would be more filling but also light enough to keep the nausea to a minimum. "After you've eaten, try to sleep for a while." Legolas nodded, picking a piece of apple off the plate. Really he needed no such encouragement. Already tiredness was creeping through his mind again and he had to work hard not to yawn widely. "I'll come by to see you later. Rest well." Elrond placed a tender kiss on Legolas' forehead and forced himself out of the door. Had he been given the option, Elrond would have happily stayed with his love all day, even if it was just to watch him sleep. Unfortunately, negotiations had to continue and he had to be present.

Once Elrond had gone, Legolas proceeded to empty his plate. It felt so good not to be hungry for the first time in ages. He just hoped his sickness would remain at bay for a while, that Elrond's vile-tasting concoction would work at least for a time. Already he felt better after his bath, his muscles – previously tense and taut – had loosened a little and his skin had warmed considerably. Not that a couple of hours' sleep and a hot bath would erase the past three months of fear, grief and uncertainty. What he had revealed to Elrond – that he missed his father – had come as a shock to him as well as the Elven Lord. He hadn't really had much of a chance to consider his father's betrayal or his banishment from his home. It had stung whenever he had entered a place and been turned away, having been beaten by his father's messengers. People he thought he could trust, people he had known all his life had shut him out, even though they had pledged their allegiance to him, their undying faith. Unfortunately, Thranduil was far scarier and commanding than the mild-mannered Prince of Mirkwood and people tended to bend to his whim.

Placing the plate on the bedside table, Legolas looked around Elrond's rooms. He spent a lot of time here but had never lived in the lord's chambers. Whenever he stayed in Rivendell, he slept in the guest rooms, only visiting Elrond's rooms when night had fallen and had always left discreetly by morning. They always remained discreet about their relationship, never flaunting it in public. Not that they were overly secretive about it. Thranduil did not approve of his son's relationship but seemed to turn a blind eye to whatever happened in Rivendell.

This time though, Elrond seemed to want him to stay in his own rooms rather than offering his normal guest room or even ordering him to stay in the healing halls. And that suited Legolas just fine. He'd always liked the cosy rooms of the Elven Lord; the large soft bed, the stunning view of the valley, the large bath big enough to accommodate two, but more than anything he liked the feeling of being close to his lover. Some of his best memories were of waking up in Elrond's arms; of dozing off in bed as the sun rose, warming them; of Elrond waking slowly and kissing his neck sleepily.

At this memory, Legolas found himself longing to have Elrond by his side, holding him tightly, chasing away his fears and insecurities. Wrapping his arms around himself to simulate Elrond's presence, Legolas slid down in the bed, pulling the covers tightly around himself. Tears dampened the pillow as he cried himself into a deep slumber.

**To Be Continued…**


	4. Finding Out The Hard Way

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****Yes this is an m-preg, as in male pregnancy. I know anatomically it is impossible in the real world but I like the idea (mainly for the Legolas suffering that goes with it). Please, if you are dead set against this kind of thing then don't read then complain that you weren't warned.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created. Promise.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 4 ~ Finding Out The Hard Way**

**OIOI**

It was gone midnight when Elrond finally escaped the meeting that had long since degenerated into a mere shouting match. All he could think about through the meeting was returning to his love's side. It was most distracting and just after eleven he had finally called an end to the yelling and retreated towards his rooms.

Guessing that Legolas would be asleep, Elrond crept into the bedroom, easing the door closed behind him. The room was pitch black so Elrond couldn't even see the bed but he could hear the deep, steady breathing of the younger Elf indicating that he was still asleep. Elrond walked silently across the bedroom and into the bathroom where he quickly lit one of the lamps. He crept back into the bedroom, satisfied that the dimmed light would not disturb his love. When he looked down he noticed with some concern that he was sleeping with his eyes closed although he seemed far more peaceful than before. He was buried beneath his blankets on his side facing the door.

Not wanting to wake his partner Elrond rummaged through his drawers as quietly as possible for his nightclothes. Once he'd found them he returned to the bathroom where he quickly washed, changed and unbraided his hair. When he was ready for bed he extinguished the lamp and made his way towards the bed. Carefully, he slipped under the mass of warm blankets, ignoring the fact that the added weight of the thick blankets was quite uncomfortable. If they kept Legolas warm he didn't care.

He heard Legolas mumbled something unintelligible and turned onto his other side. He shifted closer to Legolas so their bodies were touching. Elrond ran his hand down Legolas' arm, resting then against his swollen belly. A soft sigh escaped the blonde's lips and he shifted slightly against Elrond, as if moving towards the warmth behind him. Elrond smiled and slowly, with Legolas pressed against him, his eyes went blank and he slipped into reverie.

OIOI

When Elrond woke the next morning he was surprised to find Legolas had hardly moved during the night and he still slept soundly, with his eyes closed in exhaustion. Apparently, the young prince was more tired than he had led Elrond to believe. Despite the fact that it was gone nine in the morning and that Elrond was not particularly quiet as he took his morning bath and dressed for the day, Legolas didn't even stir. And Elrond wasn't going to wake him. If his love wanted to sleep then he would sleep undisturbed. Fatigue was one of the most prevalent symptoms of Elven male pregnancies, particularly past the four-month stage – and Legolas was already at five months – so that combined with his recent trials it was really no wonder he was now shattered.

Elrond slipped from his rooms and headed towards the breakfast halls but not before ordering a servant to wait outside his chambers and give Legolas whatever he wanted should he wake. With that, Elrond started his day.

Legolas, meanwhile, didn't wake until early mid-day. He was too tired to stay awake any longer than it took to shuffle into the bathroom, empty his aching bladder and return to bed. He shrugged off his dressing gown and threw it haphazardly to the bottom of the bed, having grown too warm under the sheets. Then he laid down once more, fluffing up the pillows beneath his head. Wearily, he closed his eyes, only briefly wondering whether Elrond would be back any time soon. Within seconds of lying down he was wandering in the peace of Elven dreams.

OIOI

Lunchtime came around and Elrond excused himself from pointless negotiations and once more retreated to his rooms, dismissing the servant who looked rather annoyed at having spent the entire morning waiting outside her lord's rooms without anything at all to do.

Elrond knocked softly on the bedroom door, even though it was _his_ room, and pushed it open to find his partner still asleep. He stepped forward and picked up the dressing gown from where it had been dropped to the floor. Obviously Legolas had woken up at some point.

Looking down at Legolas, Elrond was once more struck by just how young and vulnerable looked; small buried beneath the mound of crumpled sheets. It was easy to forget that Legolas was at least a couple of thousand years younger than him. In the semi-light of the sun filtering through the drapes, Legolas looked so thin and pale; nothing like the strong, unflappable diplomat and warrior Prince of the Woodland Realm. How could Thranduil reject someone so peaceful, someone with such a beautiful soul, who devoted his life to the peace of his realm and the happiness of his people? It brought tears to Elrond's eyes just thinking about how utterly lost Legolas looked.

Shaking his head to dispel such gloomy thoughts, Elrond sat down on the edge of the bed and placed his hand on Legolas' arm. "Legolas?" he called, squeezing the thin arm gently. The prince had slept all morning and Elrond was hoping he was a little more rested. He didn't receive even a small reaction and Legolas continued resting soundly. "Legolas? Mellon nin, it's Elrond," he said a little louder.

This time, Legolas did stir, groaning slightly at the annoyance. Then he remembered where he was and panic shot through him as he struggled to open his tired eyes. The blurry image of Elrond appeared in front of him.

Upon seeing Legolas' eyes slowly opening, Elrond smiled kindly. "Good afternoon, melleth nin. How are you feeling?" Legolas didn't answer but Elrond continued anyway. "It's past lunchtime. I thought you might be hungry so I arranged lunch for us if you feel up to it."

Legolas' befuddled mind took a moment to process this. "Oh."

"I was hoping for a somewhat more enthusiastic response."

Legolas raised his hand to rub his tired, aching eyes. "I'm sorry, Elrond. Could we…maybe we could have lunch another time?"

Forcing a smile onto his face, Elrond answered, "Of course."

"I'm sorry. I'm just…I'm really tired."

Trying his best not to show his disappointment, Elrond said, "It's all right."

"Please. Just a couple more hours. Then maybe we could have dinner later," he suggested, pushing aside the queasiness at the mere thought of eating. "I just need to sleep for a while."

Elrond's smile softened and became more genuine at this. Why should Legolas feel guilty for needing some proper time to rest and recover? The Elf deserved it more than anyone. "Of course you do. You sleep. We can have dinner later if you feel like it."

"Thank you," Legolas said softly. "As long as you're…"

"I'll be fine. I'll just go to the dining halls and mix with the fusty old human politicians instead of indulging myself with you," Elrond said, his voice mock-sad and his face pouting.

Still sleep-befuddled, Legolas' mind didn't pick up on the irony and he looked surprised before shifting his legs and lifting the sheets up. Elrond suddenly regretted his thoughtless words and he gently pushed the sheets back down, stopping Legolas' movement.

"Forgive me, Legolas, I was only joking. I have plenty to keep me occupied this afternoon. I you want to rest then you rest – as long as you need to."

"But you wanted…"

Elrond placed his hand on Legolas' cheek, gently shushing him. "Don't be silly. I can wait to talk to you properly. Right now, I want you to rest."

"Are you…?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Go back to sleep. I'll see you later." Elrond leaned forward and placed a kiss on the prince's lips, which were more responsive than they had been the night before. "Go to sleep, melleth nin."

"Just for a couple of hours," Legolas whispered, already on the verge of sleep again.

"Don't you worry about that. Sleep, my love, you'll feel better later." This slight encouragement was all Legolas needed to drift off again. Within minutes, he was sound asleep again and Elrond carefully got up from the bed and slipped out of the room, resigned to the fate of boring diplomats. However, he would give his very life for Legolas so what was a few more hours of mind-numbing torture at the hands of the humans?

OIOI

Two days of solid rest later and Legolas finally managed to drag himself from Elrond's warm, oh so comfortable bed. His body still ached slightly - his back and legs in particular – but he felt a lot better than when he had first arrived in Rivendell. Even his nausea had been gotten under control thanks to Elrond's medicines.

He frowned when he saw his reflection in the bathroom mirror. The dark circles under his eyes had faded a little and his eyes, although still slightly dull, had regained some of their natural gleam. His long hair, having not been brushed for days, was knotted and ruffled. His skin was still paler then usual although no longer pasty and it was an awful lot warmer than it had felt in a long time. His clothes, borrowed from Elladan and Elrohir, were creased from where he had been laid in them for so long. He smoothed them down but paused uncertainly when he reached his stomach. It felt good to know that his babies were in there, safe and sound despite the long and arduous journey their father had had to endure to get here. For the first time feeling genuinely curious about his pregnancy, Legolas pressed both hands down flat on his swollen stomach. A small flicker of a smile formed on his lips as he felt the children inside him.

Before he even realised what he was doing, a soft Sindarin lullaby was pouring beautifully from his lips. Tears welled up in his eyes and spilled down his cheeks. When he felt his throat constricting with emotion and his words started the falter, making the song sound too harsh for his sensitive ears, he stopped the lullaby and pulled his hands away so he could wipe the tears from his face. Why did he have to dissolve into an emotional wreck at every little thing? It was ridiculous, especially for the normally balanced and controlled prince.

Shaking his head to clear his mind, Legolas sighed and started to clean himself up. He quickly stripped off his nightclothes, folding them and neatly placing them over the back of the chair. The maids would probably take them away to wash but Legolas hated to be an untidy guest, his upbringing prohibited it. Once completely undressed, he washed, feeling infinitely better without tear-tracks covering his face. Then he pulled on the clean robes Elrond had placed in the closet for him two days ago, ready for whenever he felt up to getting out of bed. Thankfully, he had chosen loose-fitting dress robes that provided enough room to accommodate his growing belly – and it did seem to have grown in the past couple of days, no doubt aided by his frequent meals – but also to sufficiently hide the bump. It felt quite good to be dressed in proper clothes instead of dirty travelling gear or nightclothes, even though they were not his own. Although he supposed that it was quite fitting that he no longer wore his usual traditional Mirkwood colours of brown and green but now showed the red and gold of Imladris. It somehow looked odd yet strangely pleasing; like he had a place in the world.

Pushing thoughts of his lost home from his mind, Legolas started running long fingers through his hair to separate some of the tangles before starting to brush it. Once it was more smooth and shimmering he began weaving his traditional Mirkwood warrior braids. Halfway through he suddenly stopped. What on earth was he doing? Not only was he no longer a warrior but he no longer could even say he was a native of Mirkwood. He had no right to wear the braids of his own people.

Despair welled up in his chest again but he pushed it down before he once again lost control of his emotions. He combed out the beginning of the braid with his fingers and let his hair once more hang loosely over his shoulders, merely pushing it back from his face. Quickly turning from the bathroom mirror, Legolas pulled on a pair of shoes Elrond had found for him and walked to the door.

Taking a deep breath, Legolas pulled the door open and stepped out into the corridor for the first time since his arrival in Imladris. He suddenly felt strangely vulnerable being on his own outside the sanctuary of Elrond's quarters, he felt eyes staring at his stomach, even though the corridor was empty of people at the moment.

This was ridiculous, Legolas thought. He was Prince of Mirkwood – well _former_ Prince of Mirkwood – and a mighty warrior, he shouldn't be nervous of a corridor. Shaking off his nerves, Legolas strolled as nonchalantly as he could towards Elrond's office.

When Elrond had left him that morning he had been sound asleep and the lord hadn't liked to disturb him while he was so peaceful so had slipped out without waking him. That evening, when Legolas had finally found enough energy to get out of bed, he looked around Elrond's chambers for the Elven lord but Elrond was nowhere to be found, which meant he was probably either in the conference room or his office.

Not wanting to burst in on a crowd of arguing diplomats, Legolas decided to simply go to Elrond's office. He reached the door without incident, only having to dodge a few people in the corridors, not wanting a confrontation. A day after his arrival he had agreed to allow Elrond to first let his children – Elladan, Elrohir and Arwen, who was currently visiting her grandparents in Lothlorien –know of Legolas' condition and position. Then the lord of Rivendell had subtly released the information to the people of Imladris. Legolas had no idea how they had reacted to the news; he'd been too tired to bother asking Elrond how it went and Elrond had not once mentioned it to him.

Legolas knocked gently on the door and waited patiently for a response. He received none though and hesitated for a moment, slightly unsure of what to do next. After a few minutes' deliberation he reached out and turned the knob, finding the office unlocked. He stepped inside and closed the door gently behind him.

He smiled warmly at the sight of the familiar office. He'd spent a lot of time in here both before and after he had started seeing Elrond romantically and he'd always liked the space. Books, scrolls and piles of parchment, all well-organised, lined the walls on high wooden bookcases. Lore on countless different subjects was contained within them. Elrond was an incredibly skilled healer but his interests were diverse and whenever he needed peace he retreated to the solace of his office or into one of Imladris' many libraries. Jars of substances unknown to Legolas were placed on the shelves amidst the ancient tomes and they glittered bizarrely in the late afternoon sunlight that streamed through the large windows behind Elrond's desk.

Legolas walked over to the large desk, running his fingers over the ancient wood and brushing against the pile of papers waiting for the lord of Rivendell's attention. With a pile of documents waiting for his attention, he would undoubtedly be returning to the office sooner or later, so Legolas decided to just wait for him. He left the desk and wandered over to the small couch at the side of the office and picked the pile of books up before sitting down and placing the leather-bound volumes on his lap.

Getting comfortable on the sofa, Legolas flipped open the cover of the top book and glanced at the opening page. 'Herbs and their Uses in Healing Practices,' the title proclaimed in neat writing. Although he had no interest whatsoever in healing, Legolas turned the pages slowly, skimming the writing and admiring the beautiful and intricate drawings of the many herbs and the occasional diagram illustrating how the healer would mix or apply it.

Legolas closed the book and carefully set it aside. He then opened the next one but discarded that too when it told him it was, 'Herbs and their Uses in Healing practices – Volume Two'. There were three more volumes in the pile, leaving only two more books that might possibly hold some interest for the prince. The penultimate book in the pile proclaimed itself to be, 'Surgical Techniques' so Legolas opened the front cover and flicked through it. He was surprised to find the pages marked with pieces of paper on which Elrond had scrawled various notes, few of which Legolas understood the meaning of. Making sure he didn't disturb any of the bookmarks, Legolas closed the book and set it aside with the others.

The remaining book on his lap made Legolas frown in surprise. Unlike the others, this one was very thin, less than a hundred pages long and the cover was black with no title etched into the thick leather as with the others. Legolas suddenly found himself nervous about looking inside even though the ends of the paper markers sticking out the top indicated that Elrond had already been through the book so he supposed there couldn't be anything too awful inside.

Whilst he had been flicking through the books, the sun had further descended and the office was getting steadily darker so before opening the enigmatic book, he got up to light the lamp nearest to him. Once sat back down with sufficient illumination, Legolas took a deep breath and opened the cover. Surprisingly, the first page held no title as the others had done so he turned the page and it was revealed why he had had such a bad feeling about this particular book. 'Male Pregnancy in the Elven Race'. Whatever curiosity that had been in his mind suddenly disappeared and turned to cold dread. He didn't know why he should be surprised by this. Of course such books must exist – male pregnancies were indeed rare but by no means unheard of and Elrond being a healer, it made sense that he would possess such a book and that he should bring it out at this time.

The book looked to be in pristine condition, suggesting that it had barely been opened, unlike the other books in the office, which were clearly thumbed through a great deal. It was odd, such a small object could make him so nervous and yet it did and he found his hand drifting to his swollen stomach, seeking comfort in the feeling of his children inside of him.

After a good few minutes staring absently at the title, Legolas took a deep breath to steel his nerves before he turned the page. The block writing looked harsher than the herb books had, somehow more intimidating. The first couple of pages were 'How to…' get pregnant – obvious to Legolas and an unnecessary distraction – so he flipped forward, taking in every sentence about the pregnancy. He already knew most of it, having experienced it first-hand, but he still read through it, taking in every little detail. What was to come made him slightly more uneasy; the diagrams of how big he would grow in particular. And he was carrying twins so surely he would grow even bigger. It already felt weird being the size he currently was, he found it difficult to imagine the bump getting so big that he could hardly get up on his own.

Whatever nervousness he felt about the pregnancy fell into insignificance when he turned to the final pages, which explained the actual birth in painful detail. More diagrams showed where the male body would form the birth canal, where during the process of the long labour the skin above the canal would actually start to rip apart to allow the babies to be born. The words 'blood loss' and 'pain' were among the most common and stood out starkly amidst the healer's jargon.

Despite his mounting terror, Legolas found that he couldn't tear his eyes away from the pages before him. The little slips of paper acting as note markers contained Elrond's delicate penmanship but Legolas ignore them, not wanting to read his love's private thoughts on pregnancy.

The final pages spoke of the after-effects and they were no less worrying than the birth itself. By the time he'd finished reading the small book, his eyes were wide with fear, tears gathered in them and his breath caught in his throat.

All through this, he had never once thought of the actual process, so intent on finding somewhere safe that he had not once considered the practicalities of his condition. And now he wished he was once more living in ignorance - impractical in the long run, but certainly preferable.

Just when he thought he would completely fall to pieces under the weight of the task before him, he felt an unusual but quite pleasing fluttering in his stomach. He looked down sharply in surprise and placed his hand on his stomach, still feeling the odd fluttering sensation but now against his palm.

Elrond had mentioned that they would start moving around about now, but he wasn't really expecting it. Excitement, and a wave of love, rolled over him and suddenly the process of the birth didn't feel quite so terrifying. A smile crossed his face and he leaned back, content to just feel his children – or child, he couldn't really tell if both were moving – wiggling inside of him. He closed his eyes to better focus on the strange sensation. The book slid off his lap and he heard it land with a soft thump on the floor but was too enchanted to bend down to retrieve it.

A few minutes later, Legolas was startled from his thoughts by a gentle hand being laid on his shoulder and his eyes snapped open. Elrond was smiling down at him.

"Legolas, are you all right?" the lord of Imladris asked, concern creeping into his voice.

The other Elf didn't speak but instead grabbed Elrond's hand and placed it palm down on his still-fluttering stomach. "Feel," he said softly and Elrond concentrated on his hand until he too felt the movement beneath his palm. When he realised what this meant, Elrond moved carefully to sit on the couch beside Legolas and laid his other hand on the prince's stomach. "Can you feel them?" Legolas unnecessarily asked.

Elrond nodded enthusiastically and said, "It's amazing." Legolas grinned at him as he moved his hands over a little to better feel. Unfortunately, a minute later the movement ceased.

"It's stopped," Legolas said, somewhat disappointed.

Removing his hands, Elrond reassured, "Don't worry, soon they'll be kicking so hard you'll look back on these moments with fondness." Legolas nodded although he wished it would continue just a little while longer. "So, why are you in my office?" Elrond asked, jerking Legolas once more from his musings.

"Oh, I was hungry and I thought you might like to have dinner with me. I wasn't sure where you were so I thought it best to just wait here for you," Legolas explained, having almost forgotten why he had originally come here.

"On the off-chance that I might come by?" Elrond chuckled gently.

"Well, you're never away from your office for too long so I considered it the best option."

"Very wise. How are you feeling now?" the healer asked.

"Better."

"Not so tired?"

"Still tired but not so much. I'm awake enough to have dinner if you have time."

"Of course I have the time, although it's later than normal. Dinner in the main halls had already finished but we could have something in the private dining hall, just you and me," he suggested.

"That sounds good to me," Legolas smiled. It must have been later than he thought and when he looked out of the window it was late into the night.

Elrond went to stand up but stopped when his foot kicked a book lying on the floor. Bending down to pick the black-covered book up, Elrond felt cold dread pierce his heart. Legolas had found it and, from the looks of it, read the volume. Of course the prince would have to know the procedure for the birthing of his children but Elrond had hoped to break it more gently than the cold, healer's description contained within the book. The thought that the already nervous Legolas had read the uncensored implications of his pregnancy worried Elrond immensely.

"You read this?" he finally asked Legolas, who had been staring at the darkness beyond the window.

The prince looked up at him and then at the offending book. "Yes."

"Legolas, I wanted to…You weren't meant to find out this way." The prince smiled, knowing that Elrond didn't want to panic over the pregnancy. "Are you all right?" Legolas nodded but Elrond pressed, "Are you sure?" This time his nod must have been more convincing as Elrond smiled kindly. "Is there anything you want to ask?"

Legolas considered this for a moment but his mind was still reeling, having to process too much information. He looked up at Elrond and asked quietly, "I don't know, can I think about it for a while?"

"Of course. Anything you want to ask, you are welcome to do so at any time."

"Thank you."

Elrond leaned forward and kissed him gently. "All right, now are you still hungry?"

"Starving," Legolas laughed.

"Then let's have dinner." Elrond got up, placing the small book back down and held out his hand to help the blonde Elf up.

**To Be Continued…**


	5. Adaptation

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****Yes this is an m-preg, as in male pregnancy. I know anatomically it is impossible in the real world but I like the idea (mainly for the Legolas suffering that goes with it). Please, if you are dead set against this kind of thing then don't read then complain that you weren't warned.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created. Promise.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 5 ~ Adaptation **

**OIOI**

**One Month Later… (6 Months into the pregnancy)…**

"Is that all?" Elrond asked impatiently from his desk, to which Erestor had kept him tied for the past few hours catching up on paperwork the major domo felt to be of great importance. What with his preoccupation with the Gondorian negotiations and then Legolas, Elrond had fallen behind on the essential papers that constituted the running of Imladris.

Filing away another sheet neatly in its folder, Erestor smiled at him in satisfaction. "That is all, my Lord," he said, ignoring Elrond's sigh of relief.

"Then I may go?" Elrond said, sounding like a small Elfling asking for permission to leave the school room.

Erestor merely nodded, dismissing his lord's petulant tone. "Yes, you may go. Although, my Lord, it might be advisable not to let the work pile up quite so much next time. Complete it when it lands on your desk and it won't come to this again."

Elrond stood up stiffly and smiled a grim smile. "You are a slave-driver, Erestor. Perhaps I should speak to Glorfindel about appointing a less domineering major domo to run this place."

Erestor was not in the least bit concerned by this threat; it was one he received whenever Elrond was forced to do even the slightest bit of what he considered to be trivial paper work. Both of them knew fully well that Imladris wouldn't manage to run so smoothly were it not for Erestor's impeccable organisation of its people.

Flippantly, the dark-haired Elf responded, "You do that, my Lord." He started clearing up Elrond's desk as the lord pulled on his over-robe.

"I am going to see if Legolas is still awake at this hour and maybe have a very late dinner," the Elven Lord sighed, taking the bundle of papers Erestor handed to him for his late-night reading.

"It has only just gone ten, my Lord."

"Five hours late," Elrond grumbled with no real conviction. He was, after all, just teasing his advisor.

"Good night, my Lord."

"You used to be easier to antagonise, Erestor; what happened?" Elrond asked jovially, going to the door.

"Perhaps I have merely grown accustomed to your wit," Erestor mused as he continued to tidy the office. "Or perhaps you are simply losing your touch."

Elrond feigned horror. "In that case it is only right that I practice more. Perhaps on a less seasoned major domo. You are not irreplaceable, you know. There are people out there who would not keep their lord up all night doing meaningless paperwork." Both knew just how untrue that was. Erestor kept Elrond in check when he needed to and without his invaluable help both Elrond and Imladris would be left floundering. Erestor was, in fact, thoroughly irreplaceable.

"Then he would be a poor excuse for a major domo, my Lord," the advisor said calmly, knowing Elrond's were said in jest.

Elrond smiled softly and said, "Goodnight, Erestor."

"Goodnight, my Lord," the tall Elf smiled in return.

With the office now behind him, Elrond went straight back to his rooms where he knew Legolas would be waiting for him. Legolas had been in Rivendell for just over a month now and while in certain areas he was starting to flourish, in others he was gradually failing. His enlarged stomach had grown even fuller thanks to regular meals and proper rest and he had finally started putting on some much-needed weight. All in all, the pregnancy was getting back to normal after its shaky beginnings.

Whilst the children inside him might have been developing nicely, Legolas himself was spiralling into despair. Despite Elrond's almost constant encouragement, he refused to leave the safety of Elrond's rooms without the presence of the lord. To see Legolas pacing indoors was almost unnatural. He was a Wood Elf at heart, designed to be outside amongst the beauties of nature, not trapped inside. Staying in the large but still confining rooms was doing nothing to aid his recovery. Elrond knew he tired easily but sitting in the lounge all day was not healthy for any Elf, let alone one looking after two children inside him. To get Legolas to see this though was impossible. Every time Elrond suggested he take a walk in the gardens or go to the library or the Halls of Fire, Legolas looked at him in seemingly horrified disbelief. It was almost as though his father's punishment of banishment from his own kingdom wasn't enough for the prince and he felt the need to impose upon himself a prison within which he could think upon his 'crime'.

Even though he denied it, Elrond knew he still missed his home. Whenever he broached the subject, Legolas would assure him that he could live without Mirkwood and – more importantly – without his father. Elrond always considered the King of Mirkwood to be a cold and unfeeling Elf, who had no real love for anyone but himself and his precious jewels but he knew that Legolas worshipped him nonetheless. And to be so cruelly rejected by someone he had spent his whole life trying to gain the approval of was devastating. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about Thranduil. He couldn't force the king to love his son, or to forgive him. All he could do was love Legolas; offer him what Thranduil could no longer provide.

With a heavy sigh, Elrond opened his door to find Legolas sitting on the couch, watching the fire roaring in the hearth. He looked up, however, when he heard the door click open. A small, false smile crossed his lips and promptly faded again.

"Sorry I'm late. The slave-driver was forcing me to sign papers all evening," Elrond broke the uneasy silence, stepping further into the room.

Legolas nodded softly, turning disinterested eyes back to the fire. "Lord Glorfindel informed me."

"Are you hungry? We could have supper."

"I only had dinner a couple of hours ago but you go ahead."

Elrond thought for a moment before saying, "Come with me. I don't want to eat alone."

"No, thank you." Legolas' voice sounded far away, as it so often did these days.

"Legolas, please, you have to get out of this room. Isn't it time this self-imprisonment of yours ended? You have to stop punishing yourself, my love," Elrond told him softly, placing his hand on Legolas' pale cheek.

"I'm just not hungry," Legolas said vaguely, as if he had not really listened to what Elrond had been saying.

Elrond crouched down in front of Legolas and put his hands on either side of his love's pale face. "Look at me," he commanded and was rewarded by focused blue eyes meeting his own. "Talk to me, Legolas. Please, I can't stand to see you like this."

"Like what?" Legolas asked innocently as if he honestly did not see a problem with his behaviour.

"_This_," Elrond almost yelled, "This is not you. You have to pull yourself out of this; for our children as well as yourself. I know you are hurting, that you've been through a lot but you cannot spend the rest of your life hiding in these rooms." Legolas just shifted his eyes away so Elrond no longer had contact. "What are you so afraid of, my love?" he then asked, so quietly and gently that it hurt Legolas to listen to.

The prince suddenly stood up and pushed past Elrond with a mumbled, "I'm tired." He went into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. Elrond sat crouched on the floor for a moment, suddenly at a loss at what to say. He ran his hands down his face and stood up. Initially, he considered going after Legolas and trying to talk further but obviously Legolas wasn't in a very talkative mood so instead he left his chambers and went to the dining halls to get something to eat. Maybe later Legolas would feel more inclined to talk.

When, nearing midnight and after several soothing glasses of wine, Elrond returned, he found Legolas sound asleep in their bed, suddenly looking so terribly vulnerable again. He paused only briefly to caress the prince's soft cheek before changing and climbing into bed. He laid there for a while, listening to Legolas' gentle breathing in the darkness. When they had spent time together before all this happened they had talked dreamily about 'what if' Legolas came to live in Rivendell, an impossibility due to his duties in Mirkwood. Never had Elrond imagined that he would be so close and yet so far away from his love. This was not how it was supposed to be. They were supposed to be happy. Did they not deserve that at least?

Thinking about what he had dreamt of between them, Elrond's eyes went vacant and he slipped into grateful reverie.

A few hours later, Elrond's peaceful sleep was disturbed by something. He pushed the annoying sound from his mind and forced his body to remain asleep. Rolling over towards Legolas, he was surprised to find the bed cold and empty. After a moment's thought he connected the two things and his eyes cleared. Confirming that indeed the bed was empty, Elrond sat up and looked around the moonlit room. There was no one in the bedroom. Suddenly, the noise came again – a sobbing, coughing sound – and Elrond determined it came from the bath. Concern replaced annoyance and confusion and he threw the sheets back and leapt out of bed. Running to the half open bathroom door, Elrond peered inside.

Legolas was sitting on the floor with a small basin in front of him, retching into it amidst pitiful sobs, which he seemed to be attempting to muffle as if not wanting to be discovered. Elrond pushed the door open but the slight creak didn't disturb the prince so he stepped forward. "Legolas?" he asked gently and the younger Elf looked up, clearly startled.

Elrond leant down next to him, crouching down so he could see Legolas' face properly. The prince was dreadfully pale and tears streamed from red-rimmed eyes, suggesting he had been like this for a while. "Are you all right?" he asked, tucking the curtain of soft blonde hair behind Legolas' ear tenderly. Legolas shook his head softly, emitting a small whimper. Before Elrond could offer any platitudes, Legolas bent over the basin and vomited once more. The sickness had hardly eased up at all since his arrival in Rivendell and it was becoming no easier for the prince to bear. All anger and frustration melted away at the sight of his partner sick and he pulled Legolas' hair back from him, whispering reassurances.

Once he was finished, Legolas sat back slightly, trying to catch his breath. Elrond also sat back to give Legolas a little space but said softly, "Here, let me take that." He removed the basin from Legolas' limp hands despite the prince's weak protest. Elrond quickly emptied it and rinsed it out before returning to the floor and handing it back to Legolas. "There you go."

They sat there for a while on the bathroom floor in near-darkness, the silence only occasionally broken by Legolas' retching. "It will pass soon," Elrond whispered after a while before getting up and wetting a flannel to cool Legolas a little. He sat down and gently wiped the slight sheen of sweat from Legolas' flushed face, also removing the tears that had been flowing almost constantly.

Thankfully, by now the prince's sobs had dissolved into the occasional hiccup and he was clearly tiring. Elrond took each of his hands and carefully wiped them with a flannel. Slowly, Legolas raised his eyes to meet Elrond's.

"Why doesn't he love me?" Legolas asked brokenly.

It took less than a second to figure out that Legolas meant his father and his heart melted at the question. For the first time, Legolas looked almost childlike. He was a little boy asking why he couldn't please his father and Elrond choked back a sob.

"Oh sweetheart," Elrond said shakily, putting his arm around Legolas and pulling him close. Abandoning his flannel, he wrapped the shaking Elf in a warm embrace.

"Why does he hate me so much?" Legolas sobbed into Elrond's chest. "Why doesn't he love me?"

"He doesn't hate you, melleth nin. He is still your father, no matter what and he will always love you." Legolas shook his head with a heaving sob of despair. "Of course he loves you. How could he not?"

"He abandoned me, Elrond."

Elrond shook his head, stroking Legolas' hair back. "No. He was just angry and shocked. He'll come around eventually, you'll see."

As Elrond started gently rocking him side to side, Legolas sobbed, "I want my ada. I want Ada."

These heart-breaking words broke Elrond's resolve completely and he pressed a kiss into Legolas' golden hair as his own tears fell. "Shh, shh, it'll be all right. It's all right." Elrond continued his rocking as Legolas sobbed into his night robe. Every now and then he would press a gentle kiss to Legolas' hair or on his forehead. It nearly shattered his heart to have Legolas cradled in his arms like this. When he thought that it was Legolas' own father that had reduced him to this state, anger rose in him. No matter what Elladan, Elrohir or Arwen did he would never be driven to cause them this kind of pain; not even if they took a seat next to the Dark Lord himself. He had never hated anyone as much as he hated the King of Mirkwood right then.

After a long time of crying into Elrond's chest, Legolas finally sat back, laying his head against Elrond's shoulder. Elrond smiled sadly down at him and said, "I think you should come back to bed now if your stomach has calmed enough." Legolas nodded and sat up straight, allowing Elrond to stand up and hold out his hands, which Legolas took and shakily stood as well. "Come on, melleth nin."

He led Legolas into the bedroom and slowly over to the bed. Legolas sat down and ran his hands over his face. He was so tired. Although he tried to stifle a yawn it escaped him and Elrond smiled at the sight.

"Drink a little of this then lie down and try to sleep," Elrond instructed, handing Legolas a glass of fresh water. While he was sipping at the cool, refreshing water Elrond quickly returned to the bathroom to clean up. He washed the basin out and brought it and a clean towel into the bedroom, just in case Legolas' stomach betrayed him again. He placed both objects on the bedside table and turned back to the young prince who was just slipping under the sheets. Elrond arranged them over him carefully and kissed him in reassurance.

Once certain Legolas was comfortable, Elrond returned to his side of the bed and also climbed under the covers, shifting so he was facing his partner. Legolas moved his head to the side so he could see Elrond properly and the Elven lord smiled kindly. He reached over and gently stroked Legolas' hair, fingering a long lock.

"Go to sleep now," Elrond said softly, seeing that the young Elf was tired after his bout of sickness. For some reason, Legolas' morning sickness usually struck in the middle of the night, meaning the prince often got very little sleep at night time. And Elrond knew that it tired him out more than he cared to admit, even to himself.

Legolas' eyes stayed wiped open and clear and he stared at Elrond through the darkness. "Elrond, I'm sorry for being so horrible to you lately. Please don't leave me," he whispered pleadingly.

Smiling, Elrond promised, "No matter what you say or do, I am never, ever going to leave you. I'm always going to be here for you, I swear it." Tears slipped from Legolas' eyes again at the reassurance, dampening the pillow beneath him. "Do you understand that?"

"Yes," Legolas nodded.

"Good. Now sleep. We can talk more in the morning if you want." Elrond smiled softly as Legolas shifted so he could lie in his lover's arms as he had longed to do all night. The Elven lord pulled Legolas up against him. Legolas shifted to get comfortable and laid his head on Elrond's chest with a satisfied sigh. His eyes drifted closed, as they tended to do when he slept lately, and cuddled up to Elrond's reassuring presence, he finally fell into an exhausted sleep. Elrond waited until the prince's breathing evened out before he let his own eyes go vacant.

OIOI

When Elrond woke several hours later, just as the sun was replacing the darkness in the room he attempted to move into a more comfortable position before he looked down and saw the reason he was pinned to the bed. Legolas' head was still resting on his chest and the prince had at some point during the night thrown his arm around Elrond's waist as if holding him close. The blonde was cuddled up against him, the warmth of his swollen stomach pressed into his own body. It felt so good to have the prince close to him that Elrond forgot that the arm lying under the increasingly heavy Elf was void of almost all feeling or that Legolas' arm across his chest making it difficult to draw a deep breath. All of that was nothing compared to the feeling of Legolas pressed against him and their children essentially nestled between them.

Basking in the rising sun and the love he felt for Legolas and his unborn children, Elrond closed his eyes, intending to stay this way for a long time. If he could have stretched time out and laid this way for all eternity he would have happily done so.

Unfortunately, that would require that he resign his rightful post as Rivendell's lord because it was duty that finally tore him from his bed. Duty that morning came in the form of Glorfindel. A soft rapping on his bedroom door made him open his eyes and he sighed softly. Not wanting to disturb Legolas if he could at all help it, Elrond said, "Hold on a minute," quietly, knowing fully well that Glorfindel would hear it even from the other side of the door.

Carefully, Elrond pulled Legolas' arm from his chest and placed it on the bed in between them. He then eased Legolas' head off his chest and slipped to the side so the prince could rest on the pillow instead. This movement made the Elf stir but he quickly stilled again after he had moved into a more comfortable position.

Even though it was gone nine in the morning and the prince would normally be up and about by now, Elrond knew he was exhausted after his night on the bathroom floor so thought it was probably best to leave him to sleep if that was what he wanted to do. He wouldn't have had the heart to disturb him anyway; he looked more peaceful now than he had done in a long while.

Shaking off his thoughts, Elrond went to open the door to reveal Glorfindel standing there waiting for him with a mug of steaming herbal tea.

"Good morning, my Lord," he chimed brightly, holding out the mug to him.

"Yes, Glorfindel, I know it's late," Elrond mumbled as he quietly pulled the door closed so their talking didn't disturb Legolas.

"Did I say anything?" Glorfindel replied dryly.

"Nah, you were thinking it though," Elrond said suspiciously, taking a sip of his tea.

"I think it's good for you to have a lie in every now and then."

Elrond sank into a chair and said defensively, "Fine, go ahead and lecture me."

"I'm sorry, are we having two different conversations here?" Glorfindel asked in amusement as he sat gracefully on the couch opposite Elrond. "I just said I thought it was good that you sleep in."

"Right there!" Elrond exclaimed, pointing accusingly at him.

"I didn't say anything."

"It was in your tone," Elrond told him.

"You are in an exceptionally bad mood this morning. Did Erestor keep you chained to that desk all night?" the seneschal laughed.

"No. It was Legolas," Elrond finally answered seriously.

Glorfindel also sobered at this, seeing his lord's sadness. "Is the prince all right, my Lord?"

The Lord of Imladris shook his head. "Not really, no. He misses Thranduil. He thinks the king hates him."

"Poor Legolas. To be abandoned by his own father…" Glorfindel said almost to himself, shaking his head.

"I have never liked Thranduil all that much but last night, if Legolas had asked me to, I would have gone to Mirkwood myself and got down on my knees and begged Thranduil to just tell his son that he loves him," the lord said passionately.

"It was that bad?" Glorfindel asked in surprise at Elrond's words.

"I have never seen him like that before. And, honestly, I never thought I would. Legolas was never one to cry over his father but last night…" he trailed off, remembering Legolas pleas.

"I'm sorry," Glorfindel smiled sincerely. "Should I clear your appointments for this morning so you can stay with him?"

Elrond smiled at his friend's thoughtfulness but shook his head. "No, Legolas is exhausted after last night and he's sleeping now. He'll probably stay that way for a while yet. I'll come and check on him this afternoon if there's time."

"I'll find time," Glorfindel told him with conviction.

"Thank you. I'll go and get dressed and meet you in the office. Please be sure the maids don't come by here this morning. I want Legolas to rest for as long as he can," Elrond told his seneschal, getting up from his chair.

"No one will disturb him, my Lord; I'll make sure of it," Glorfindel told him firmly, walking to the door and bowing respectfully before leaving.

Legolas was still sound asleep in bed, not disturbed by Elrond's absence. He still looked tired and yet seemed remarkably peaceful considering his state last night. Once he had pulled on his formal robes, Elrond carefully placed a kiss on Legolas' forehead, smiling as Legolas sighed in contentment but remained asleep. Reluctantly, Elrond pulled himself away from his love and dragged himself into his daily meetings. Unfortunately, his thoughts remained with his partner even when he was meant to be concentrating on what the ambassadors from Gondor were saying – currently something about the ancient treaties of the kingdom.

Thankfully, both Glorfindel and Erestor knew of their lord's distraction and managed to cover for him when his mind obviously drifted. The morning passed achingly slowly for Elrond; every second seemed to drag on for eternity. And not only because he wanted to return to his love's side but because these negotiations – if that's what they could even be called – were beginning to frustrate him. They just seemed to go round and round in circles, neither side being able to agree on anything. It made even Glorfindel and Erestor, the two most patient Elves in Rivendell, start to lose their calm.

Finally, lunch came around and Elrond all but ran from the room and went straight to his chambers. He was rather surprised to find Legolas awake although he looked extremely groggy so he couldn't have been up very long. He looked up from his struggling to sit up straight when he heard Elrond enter the room.

"You're awake," Elrond exclaimed in surprise.

"It's happening again," Legolas told him, trying to catch his breath.

Immediately, Elrond ran into the bathroom to retrieve the basin, knowing Legolas was prone to spontaneous bouts of sickness. He stopped in his tracks though when he heard Legolas' gentle laugh from behind him. Even the most optimistic Elf wouldn't find vomiting amusing. Turning, he saw Legolas' hands on his stomach and a smile on his face.

"The babies are moving again," Legolas told him, now propped up against the headboard.

Relaxing, Elrond moved over to the bed and sat back next to Legolas, placing his hand on the swollen stomach and feeling the gentle fluttering. A smile beamed across his face for the first time all day as he felt his children stirring. They sat there, hands on the swollen abdomen until the movement ceased and the babies settled again. Elrond sat back once more, now caressing Legolas' pale cheek.

"Did they wake you up?" Elrond asked quietly after a while and Legolas smiled in confirmation. He still looked exhausted but happier than before. "I'm sorry," he said sympathetically, knowing just how tired his love was and that he needed his sleep.

"It's not your fault."

"How do you feel this afternoon?" Elrond finally asked.

"Better."

"No sickness?"

"Not as bad as last night," Legolas said quietly. Elrond just smiled kindly, smoothing Legolas' ruffled hair down. After a few minutes' silence, Legolas finally spoke again, so softly that the Elven lord had to strain to hear. "I'm sorry, Elrond, for everything. I shouldn't have ignored you…after all you have done for me."

"It's all right."

"No, it's not. I had no right to behave like that towards you. You took me in when no one else would have anything to do with me and I just…I pushed you away. You were only trying to help me and I…"

"Legolas, stop. I don't care that you had one bad night. And I don't care about etiquette or manners or being the perfect guest. I care about you. That's it."

The prince smiled shakily. "About last night…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…my father, he's…you shouldn't have had to listen to me go on about him."

"You think I am annoyed that you miss your father?" Legolas' sad eyes drifted up to meet his. "No matter what happens between us or between me and Thranduil, I would never think less of you for being upset about the king. What he did to you, how he treated you, I hate him for it but he is still your father and I would never expect you to simply forget about him. Do you understand that?"

"Yes, thank you." There was silence for a long while before Legolas finally broke it. "For everything he has done though, I still love him. Is that crazy?"

"Of course it's not. It's not crazy."

"I've never seen him so angry, Elrond. He…he scared me." Elrond pulled Legolas close and pressed a kiss into his golden hair. "If he finds out I'm here…"

"Shh, I don't care about that."

"You should care. He's a powerful king and he holds so many treaties with Imladris, any one of which he could revoke at any time," Legolas rushed out.

"For all Thranduil's faults, he's a good king and his infamous cold, hard exterior is actually an advantage now. He wouldn't let his personal feelings get in the way of business."

"You didn't see him, Elrond. He was so mad…"

"Why don't you let me worry about Imladrian politics? You just concentrate on carrying those two children to term."

"But…"

"Legolas, I am not going to say that you should completely abandon your family. I would never force you to just forget about the person who raised you. But I cannot forgive him for what he did to you. Throwing you out like this was…"

"I feel like I should hate him but I just can't."

"Of course you can't. He is your father."

Legolas shook his head and raked his fingers through his hair with a growl of frustration. "Ah, this is so complicated."

With a sympathetic smile, Elrond placed a kiss on Legolas' cheek. "I know it is. No matter what your father says you always have a place here. I love you."

"I love you too."

After a brief kiss, Elrond said, "How would you like some lunch? I have a few minutes before I have to get back to the office." Legolas nodded his consent. "What would you like? The diplomats are all being served sandwiches and tea but chef can whip us up something else if you want."

"Left-over sandwiches sounds great," Legolas smiled.

"All right then. I'll be right back." Climbing off the bed, Elrond strode to the kitchens and quickly prepared lunch for his love, ignoring the odd looks he received from the kitchen staff. After picking up a small selection of cakes for Legolas, Elrond made his way back to his chambers. "Here we go. I brought cake as well. I had to sneak it out of the kitchen but I have been assured that it is the best in all of Rivendell."

"Thank you," Legolas said weakly, all his enthusiasm having drained from him. He looked a lot paler than when Elrond had last seen him even though that had been mere minutes ago. Elrond placed the tray on the table and stepped up to the bed.

"Legolas, are you all right, melleth nin?"

The prince looked up with a faint smile. "Nothing," he assured.

"Are you feeling nauseous again?"

"No, I'm all right." After a moment, Legolas cleared his throat and looked up. "Sorry. You were talking about cake," he prompted.

"Right. Cake." Elrond served some food on a plate and placed it in front of Legolas. "Try to eat something. You missed breakfast." Legolas nodded and picked idly at a piece of ginger cake. "Are you sure you're all right?"

Legolas nodded but then said, "Elrond, I want to send a letter to my father in Mirkwood."

Startled by the sudden exclamation, Elrond nodded. "Mirkwood? Legolas, are you sure?"

"Yes. You were right; I can't just forget about my father. I should at least let him know that I am safe. If he even cares about my safety, that is."

Elrond took Legolas' hand in his own and assured, "He cares."

"Would you mind?"

"No, of course I wouldn't mind. If you want to send word to Mirkwood then of course you should."

"He might not be happy that I'm here."

Elrond scoffed humourlessly. "I am not afraid of Thranduil."

"Then you don't mind?"

"I don't mind. Write your letter and I'll see that it's sent. As long as you're sure this is what you want?" Legolas nodded almost shyly. "Good. That's settled then. Now, finish your lunch. You must be starving." In truth, Legolas' appetite had disappeared by now, only to be replaced by a cold fear in his stomach. Just the thought of making contact with his estranged father concerned him more then he would confess to his partner. Even though he wanted to write to him, he honestly didn't know what to say. His mind whirled with confusing phrases he could possibly use. During their lunch though, Legolas put on a brave face and ate the remainder of his food only to keep Elrond satisfied and the Elven lord seemed pleased enough.

Once they had finished eating, Elrond kissed his love goodbye and returned to his meeting. For a long while, Legolas sat on the bed, lost in thought. He finally got up and went to Elrond's desk in the lounge. Rifling through the drawers, he found a crisp sheet of paper and put the pen nib against it, waiting for inspiration to come.

Despite all their differences over the years, Legolas had never been afraid of his father, not even when the king was yelling at him from his throne or when his father was shouting at him in their private chambers. And yet now, even though he didn't have sight of his father and wouldn't have to physically face him, he was terrified. What could he possibly say? Nothing he could write could heal the rift he had created between them. Shaking fingers shifted the pen so it touched the paper. He didn't even know how to address it. Should he write 'Ada', 'My Lord', 'King Thranduil', 'Your Majesty'? None of them sounded right. Was it right to call his father 'Ada' anymore? He just didn't know. Sighing in frustration, Legolas scribbled a brief letter out as fast as he could, ignoring the fact that it didn't sound right at all. Folding the letter, Legolas sat back with a heavy sigh.

Feeling the familiar nausea coming on, Legolas got up and raced to the bathroom to bring up his lunch. For some reason he felt that this particular sickness had more to do with the task he had just completed than his pregnancy. Once he was done, Legolas shakily stood up and looked at his reflection in the mirror. He still wore his borrowed nightclothes and they hung loosely around him apart from at his stomach where the fabric was tightly stretched. Elrond had not had time to accompany him to the tailors yet and Legolas had not felt like venturing outside anyway.

Idly, Legolas wandered back into the bedroom and sat down on the rumpled bed, fingering the warm sheets. Tiredness still lingered in his body but his mind was now restless and he knew he wouldn't be able to rest easy. Being a creature of the forest, Legolas was simply not built to stay indoors for long periods of time. For weeks he had avoided leaving this room, scared of being parted from his sanctuary, as if it might somehow disappear and he would be alone again. He couldn't stand that.

Standing up suddenly, Legolas went to stride to the door. He stopped before he pulled it open though. At the moment he was dressed in his – or rather, in the twins' - nightclothes and wore nothing at all on his feet. Personally, he didn't care what he looked like but the people of Imladris might notice the improper state of dress in the visiting prince.

He returned to the bedroom and pulled Elrond's closet door open instead, searching its contents. It mostly consisted of formal robes, all in the lord's classic burgundy and gold, although there were some regular clothes hanging up. Legolas smiled when he looked down at the well-organised shoes on the bottom shelf. Elrond was always so ordered, so uniform. It stood out in sharp contrast to Legolas, who preferred things more organic. His own closet, at home in Mirkwood, was crammed full of disorganised clothes and countless other belongings.

Somehow, it felt wrong to just rifle through Elrond's belongings now, even though he had done so in the past. Now he felt an almost desperate need to be outside again so he could once more be close to the nature he so loved, so he pulled out one of Elrond's formal robes and swung it over his shoulders. Thankfully, the lord's robe was quite large and accommodated his growing belly and effectively covered his nightclothes. He could have laughed at the sight of himself in the mirror. Although he had no objection to Imladrian formal robes they did look odd on him. For a start, his usual attire did not include formal robes. He preferred his normal tunic and leggings and only wore formals when it was demanded by his father or his advisors. There was no way any of Elrond's tunics would fit over his stomach though so he would have to make do with this.

He pulled out a pair of shoes but there was no chance of wearing any of Elrond's. They were all too small for him. With a sigh, he reached for the slippers Elrond had gotten for him. No one would be looking at his feet anyway.

It took him a moment to build up the courage to open the door. When his world didn't crumble around him away from the security of Elrond's rooms, he started down the corridor. He didn't need to think about where he was going. He strode down the halls until he came to a door leading outdoors.

With a bright smile, Legolas threw the doors open and stepped out into the beautiful gardens of Imladris. For a second, he just stood completely still and closed his eyes, listening to the sound of the trees rustling in the gentle breeze, the birds singing cheerfully, the soft tinkling of a small waterfall nearby and the gushing of a more powerful one in the distance. For a while he could almost imagine that he was back at home and everything was right with the world once more.

His pleasant illusion was shattered by the fluttering in his stomach and he opened his eyes to look at the gardens once more. Imladris certainly was beautiful and even though he knew he could never love it as much as he loved Mirkwood, he felt he could make a home here. With a small smile, Legolas started walking through the gardens, following where his instincts guided him rather than sticking to the established path.

His route led him through Elrond's stunning rose garden, over several bridges crossing small streams, through a large orchard and finally he ended up sat on a bench by the small stream that flowed through his gardens. It was quiet by the stream and being mid-afternoon it was fairly peaceful in the gardens.

For a long while he sat on the stone bench just watching the river flow by and listening to the trees. Being a Wood Elf, the trees often spoke more openly to him than they might his non-woodland kin. They gladly soothed him with their song and although he couldn't actively communicate with them quite so freely as those familiar to him in Mirkwood, it was still a comfort to him in his time of unrest.

He didn't even notice when the light began to fade and the temperature started to drop. He didn't hear soft footsteps approaching and started slightly when a hand was placed on his shoulder. He looked behind him to see Elrond stood behind him.

"Here you are," the Elven lord said quietly, moving to sit on the bench beside him. "When I returned to our rooms and you weren't there I grew worried."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to worry you. I just needed some fresh air," Legolas answered softly.

"I see."

"I went for a walk," the Elf continued.

"Did it help clear your head?"

"A little."

"Good." Elrond pulled Legolas' hair out of his face and stroked his pale cheek. "Nice robes," he laughed, getting a good look at the prince.

"Sorry," Legolas said, picking at the overly large robe he was wearing. "I didn't have anything else to wear."

Elrond just watched Legolas for a few minutes as he stared at the lake, which was becoming rapidly bathed in silver moonlight as night started to descend. "Are you all right? You seem distracted," Elrond finally broke the silence.

Legolas turned to face him and forced a smile onto his face. "I was just thinking," he answered vaguely.

"About what?" the Elven lord asked.

The prince seemed to take a moment to consider his answer, as though needing some time to collect his thoughts to properly voice them. When he did speak, it was slowly and carefully. "I was thinking…that I love you. I was thinking that I could make this place my home. It will never be Mirkwood but I want to make this work. I want to have our children and watch them grow up here." A small smiled flitted across Legolas' face as he spoke and it warmed Elrond's heart to see. "I want to make this work," he repeated firmly, now meeting Elrond's eyes.

Knowing Legolas had finished what he had to say, Elrond spoke again, "It's good to finally here you say that," he said softly, moving his hand down to the bump where his children were steadily growing. "I want that too." Leaning forward, he placed a gentle kiss on compliant lips.

When they pulled back, Legolas looked shyly down at his attire and asked, "Can we please find a tailor in the morning? I think it's time for actual clothes."

Elrond laughed. "Pity. I was beginning to like seeing you in nothing but nightclothes – and my borrowed robes."

"I'm wearing Elladan's slippers," Legolas said, displaying his feet to Elrond.

"Those are Elrohir's," the dark-haired Elf corrected dryly.

The prince laughed cheerfully for the first time since his unexpected arrival over a month ago. It made Elrond smile to hear the musical sound and he wrapped his arm around Legolas pulling him against himself.

"Forgive me," Legolas said softly as he laid his head to rest against Elrond's shoulder.

"For what?"

"For behaving like a spoiled child these past weeks."

Elrond hushed him and pressed a kiss onto his forehead, holding him tighter in his arms. "I don't blame you for anything, Legolas. You've been through so much and no one could begrudge you a snappy attitude for a while. But it's not healthy, Legolas. You have to concentrate on these two," he said, running his hand over the swelling beneath the prince's borrowed robes. "Getting through this pregnancy should be your main priority. It's difficult enough at the best of times but you are carrying twins, which will only add to the difficulty. I need you to be focused on this." Legolas nodded, knowing that what Elrond said was true. All this time he had been wallowing in his own misery, barely giving any thought to the twin lives he carried inside him. A wave of shame washed through him and a lump formed in his throat and his hands drifted down to his stomach, feeling the gentle fluttering just beneath his skin. "Can you manage that?"

"Yes," Legolas forced past the lump in his throat. "If you will help me."

"Of course."

"Because I don't think I can do this on my own. Hoards of Orcs, I can handle but this is far more terrifying."

Elrond smiled down at him. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Thank you." Legolas turned his eyes back to the inky black river that rippled in the moonlight. It looked oddly peaceful despite its dark depths. Despite being comfortable wrapped in Elrond's strong embrace he shivered slightly as a cool breeze swept along the river.

Of course, Elrond noticed it immediately and ran his fingers over Legolas' hands, a little concerned to discover that they were chilled. "You're cold," he stated as Legolas pulled away from him.

"Only a little. I am only wearing nightclothes and a thin stolen over-robe," the blonde smiled as he rubbed his hands together.

"We should get back inside. Some hot tea will warm you up."

"Tea sounds good," Legolas smiled and stood up to follow Elrond back into the house. They walked slowly, enjoying the moonlit walk through the gardens, arm in arm. Their talk was a lot easier now as they discussed the wonder of Imladris and the gardens rather than the heavier topics like pregnancies or Mirkwood's king. It was nice to talk about inane topics for a change and Legolas felt his heart lightening as they walked. By the time he crawled into bed at gone midnight with Elrond beside him, Legolas was pleasantly tired and easily slipped into sleep, for once peaceful and dreamless.

**To Be Continued...**


	6. Forming Friendships

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****Yes this is an m-preg, as in male pregnancy. I know anatomically it is impossible in the real world but I like the idea (mainly for the Legolas suffering that goes with it). Please, if you are dead set against this kind of thing then don't read then complain that you weren't warned.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created. Promise.**

**OIOI**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who is reading this and for all the reviews. They are much appreciated and I hope you continue to enjoy the story.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 6 ~ Forming Friendships**

**OIOI**

**One Month Later (Legolas Seven Months Pregnant)…**

Legolas rolled over uncomfortably on the bed. Despite it being quite spacious, he suddenly felt ridiculously crowded. It didn't help that the twins had been mercilessly kicking him from the moment he had laid down. All day he had been looking forward to climbing into bed but he had gotten exactly one hours' sleep before he had been woken abruptly.

That day, whilst Elrond had been locked away in meetings with his advisor, Legolas had been left to speak with the servants about moving new furniture into Elrond's rooms to accommodate his own needs at the same time as the future babies. What should have been a simple case of sitting down and giving instructions rapidly turned into him physically moving the furniture around and sorting through numerous boxes and crates containing Elrond's belongings, which the staff flat-out refused to touch.

By the time he had finished with the sitting room, Elrond had returned and they had gone to dinner before reclining in the newly arranged living room and finally going to bed. Although he was aching all over and his regular nausea had once again descended he's crawled gratefully beneath the sheets and had fallen immediately into an exhausted sleep.

Elrond's arm shifted over Legolas' chest but he shrugged it off in annoyance and Elrond turned away from him with a sigh, pulling the sheets further over himself, causing them to slip from Legolas' body. At that moment one of the babies kicked hard, reminding him that he also needed to use the bathroom, just adding to his discomfort. He rolled onto his other side in an attempt to ease his discomfort but it only made him feel worse. Deciding that this was a case of mind over matter, Legolas took a deep breath, closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep.

He tried to ignore everything he was feeling, he even squeezed his eyes shut tightly and buried himself beneath the bed sheets but it was to no avail. Another hour passed before he was forced to admit defeat. With the annoying revelation that he would get no sleep that night and that he could now add hunger to the growing list of complaints, Legolas threw the sheets back angrily – annoyed when Elrond didn't wake at the disturbance – climbed out of bed, slipped on his robe and slippers and shuffled towards the bathroom, all but slamming the door closed behind him.

With one thing taken care of, Legolas then strode from the bedroom and down the corridor, still silently fuming that while he was forced to wander the halls in the middle of the night, Elrond slept peacefully, completely oblivious to his suffering.

He flung the kitchen doors open, not caring about the racket they made as they slammed against the walls, and pulled open the door to the larder. It was, as always, fully stocked but with mounting frustration, the prince decided that nothing inside would satisfy him.

Just as Legolas was reaching for a jar of preserved fruit, one of the babies kicked him with such force that he gasped and both hands instinctively flew to his stomach. A split second later the jar hit the floor, smashing and spilling its contents everywhere.

"Damn it," Legolas swore loudly as his slippers became soaked in the thick syrup from the jar. He closed his eyes and tried counting to ten in his head to calm himself down, although he only made it to five before he lost his cool again and crouched down to clear up the broken glass.

"Hello?" a familiar voice called from the kitchen doorway, causing Legolas to stop what he was doing and look up.

"Glorfindel?"

Soft footsteps followed the voice. "Prince Legolas? Is that you?" The fair image of Glorfindel appeared a moment later, a frown creasing his features. "What are you doing?"

"Forgive me, I was…hungry," Legolas replied rather lamely.

"Are you all right?"

"Excuse me?"

"I heard something smash." His blue eyes travelled down Legolas to the sticky mess on the floor. "Ah," he smiled as he discovered the cause of the disturbance. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I just dropped the jar." He looked down to avoid the seneschal's piercing gaze. "I'm sorry," said Legolas and made to continue clearing the glass away but Glorfindel rushed forward and grabbed his arm and eased him to his feet.

"It's all right. Let me do that, you'll hurt yourself." He led Legolas around the fragments of glass. "Come and sit down and wash your hands." He moved Legolas to one of the preparation tables and he perched on a stool whilst Glorfindel brought him a wet cloth for his sticky hands. "Here," he said before striding back into the larder, retrieving the glass then wiping up the spilled contents.

"Really, I can do that, Captain," Legolas called from the kitchen, suddenly feeling guilty for inconveniencing the seneschal.

"It's fine. I can do it," Glorfindel called back.

"Glorfindel, I don't mind…" Legolas said, sliding off his stool.

As if the blonde advisor could sense what Legolas was doing in the next room he called out, "Sit back down. I've got it." With a small smile, he settled back on the stool, secretly pleased at not having to bend down again; his back hurt enough already without adding to the strain.

Glorfindel returned to the kitchen carrying the glass, which he carefully disposed of into the bin wrapped in a towel so none of the servants would cut themselves. He then went to the sink and started washing the sticky syrup off his hands.

Watching him closely, Legolas said, "I'm really sorry, Glorfindel."

The captain smiled over at him and assured, "Not to worry, it's only smashed glass, nothing to worry about." He finished washing his hands and dried them on a kitchen towel, turning to Legolas again. "Are you certain you didn't cut yourself?" he asked in genuine concern.

"No, I'm fine."

Glorfindel returned the towel to its previous position and took a seat next to the prince. "So what were you doing in here?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude," Legolas said suddenly.

"Don't be ridiculous. You're welcome here, you know that."

"I just wanted something to eat and there was no one around so I thought I could find something in the stores."

"Oh, shall I fetch the chef?"

"No, it's late."

"If you want some food I should summon the head chef to prepare you something," Glorfindel said firmly.

"No," Legolas exclaimed, startling the Elda. "Please don't. I can do it myself."

The seneschal actually laughed out loud at this. "Your Highness, you are going to cook?" he asked, still grinning.

"I can cook," Legolas countered despite it being common knowledge that his cooking skills were virtually non-existent and on the rare occasion he had done so it had bordered on disastrous.

"Of course, sir." Legolas nodded sharply. "I'm going to send for the chef."

"I don't want to cause trouble."

"It's no trouble."

"I said no, Captain," Legolas ordered, sounding more like the prince Glorfindel knew than he had since his arrival and immediately the seneschal was put back in his place but far from being offended he was rather glad for it.

"Very well, Your Highness," the Elda said seriously. Legolas looked slightly abashed at his harsh words but managed to keep himself quiet. "Well, I suppose I could make you something. My cooking may not be up to the chef's standards but it is passable," Glorfindel offered.

For a moment, Legolas looked ready to object but then his stomach gave a treacherous rumble and he nodded slowly in acceptance. Glorfindel smiled softly and got up to pull some ingredients from the larder and putting some pans onto the stove. He placed an onion and a knife on a chopping board and placed it in front of Legolas, saying, "Chop." After a bemused look, Legolas did as he was told and skilfully started cutting the onion up. The captain seemed quite proficient in the kitchen, adding things to the pans on the stove. "So, how are you, my Lord?" Glorfindel asked after a while of comfortable silence.

"Fine," Legolas answered vaguely.

"And yet you're in here in the middle of the night," Glorfindel pointed out, chopping up some herbs as he spoke, glancing up at Legolas. The prince met his eyes briefly before looking away again and he nodded thoughtfully. "Is there something wrong with Elrond?" Glorfindel asked carefully, scraping up the herbs and adding them to the sauce.

"No, I just couldn't sleep."

"Babies keeping you up?" Legolas nodded, forcing a smile onto his face. "I'm sorry."

"They seem more settled when I'm up and about but the moment I lie down they decide to start kicking. I think they are punishing me," Legolas said miserably, running his hand over his now quietened stomach.

Glorfindel laughed, adding a little spice to the mixture and answered, "I'm not sure it works that way." Legolas made an unconvinced sound and started fiddling with a bundle of herbs in front of him. "How is the redecoration of Elrond's quarters going?" Glorfindel asked, stirring the sauce.

"Slowly. The people you sent me were useless; I ended up doing most of it myself and only managed to finish the living room."

Glorfindel frowned over at him. "You shouldn't be shifting furniture about."

"Well, standing around discussing the next party wasn't going to get it done," Legolas muttered.

"Oh. I chose them myself; I thought they might be useful to you. Even so, you really shouldn't be moving things about. Tomorrow I will come personally and help you."

"You don't have to do that."

Glorfindel laughed, "Of course I do. Elrond would have my head if you hurt yourself."

"Thank you," Legolas said shyly, watching as Glorfindel stirred the near-bubbling sauce.

"So, how does it feel?" the seneschal finally asked almost nervously as though afraid of putting a foot wrong.

"Excuse me?" Legolas asked in surprise.

"I just meant…males rarely get to feel the experience of carrying children and I was curious as to how it felt."

Legolas scoffed, honestly not understanding Glorfindel's fascination. His face softened when Glorfindel looked abashed and turned away. "Captain, come here," Legolas said quietly and Glorfindel immediately abandoned his food and came to the prince's side. "Give me your hand." The seneschal complied with a frown of confusion, which turned to one of mild shock when Legolas took his hand and placed it flat against the bulge of his stomach.

"My Lord, what…?"

"Just wait a second," Legolas told him impatiently and true to his word, a beat later, Glorfindel felt a strong kick against his palm. Whilst Legolas winced, Glorfindel crouched down, adding his other hand to better experience the strange phenomenon. All his concentration was focused on this, his eyes widening with wonder.

"That is unbelievable," Glorfindel whispered as the kicking died down.

"That's what it feels like," Legolas said as Glorfindel stood up with a grin on his face.

"It's amazing."

"It _is _amazing. That is until they are kicking me in the middle of the night, waking me from what little peace I get in between fiery backache and having to get up to go to the bathroom every hour," Legolas said sarcastically.

Glorfindel moved back to his cooking, adding the sauce to the meat he had prepared and stirring. "But it will be worth it in the end; when you're holding your babies in your arms," he reasoned, tipping the food onto a plate and placing it in front of the prince. "My finest cuisine," he pronounced, handing a knife and fork to Legolas.

"Thank you," Legolas said, his stomach growling at the delicious-smelling food.

Legolas was already tucking in when Glorfindel asked, "Would you like some water?" Legolas nodded, unable to speak through a mouthful of food. Glorfindel smiled and placed a glass of fresh water in front of Legolas before taking a seat at the counter, watching the prince devouring his food, apparently forgetting the rigidly proper etiquette of his father's stiff, unyielding court. Glorfindel was rather impressed that he felt comfortable enough to let his guard down in Imladris. A laugh bubbled up in his throat. Legolas looked up at him mid-chew and saw Glorfindel's eyes twinkling with amusement. "You really were hungry," he laughed.

A look of guilty horror passed over the prince's face that he had completely forgotten any semblance of manners around his host. He swallowed thickly and lowered the next forkful he already had poised mid-air. "I'm so sorry," he said, his face flushing slightly under Glorfindel's close scrutiny.

The Elda waved off the apology. "There's no one here but us. Tuck in." Legolas lowered his eyes and more sedately finished his dinner, genuinely enjoying the food the seneschal had prepared for him. In another five minutes, the plate was completely clean and with a satisfied smile he placed his knife and fork on it and pushed the plate away from him. "How was it?" Glorfindel asked with a pleasant smile.

"Fantastic. You should have been a chef," Legolas complimented.

"Thank you," Glorfindel mockingly bowed. "I could try and whip up a dessert."

Legolas laughed genuinely for what seemed like the first time in ages. "Don't tempt me."

"I believe there is a slice of chocolate cake left over from dinner. I could probably search it out if you're still hungry." Legolas nodded enthusiastically and Glorfindel got up and started searching the kitchen for the dessert. Eventually, he discovered a couple of slices of chocolate cake and laid them out on a plate before returning to Legolas. The prince's eyes lit up at the sight and he immediately snatched up the fork Glorfindel handed him and tucked into the delicious cake.

When he had devoured half the cake, he looked up at the seneschal again. "Do you not want any?" he asked politely.

"No, no; you go ahead and finish it," Glorfindel told him. The prince did as beckoned, quickly polishing off the remaining chocolate cake. With his stomach considerably fuller and more settled than it had been in a long time, Legolas sat back with a satisfied sigh. "Good?"

"Yes, thank you. That was the best dinner I've had in ages. Really, you should think about a career change," Legolas told him seriously.

Glorfindel laughed. "I'm fairly happy with my full time job of running this house and army but perhaps I will consider it. I'm glad you enjoyed it though."

"I did, thank you."

"Would you like some tea? It might help you relax, help you sleep."

"Oh, it's late. I have kept you up," Legolas exclaimed, suddenly realising how selfish he was being. He knew that Glorfindel often had to get up early in the morning to keep up with Erestor who always got up at the crack of dawn. And Legolas had been keeping him up, making him cook for him. He had no right to treat Glorfindel like his servant, not when he was a guest in this house.

"I'm sorry. Please don't feel like you have to attend to me," Legolas said quickly.

"No, it is my pleasure," Glorfindel replied, retrieving the dirty plates and taking them to the sink to wash.

Legolas stood up too. "Let me do those."

"I can manage. You sit down," Glorfindel commanded, running warm water into the sink. Legolas did as he was told with some reluctance. "Are you not concerned that Elrond will be worried when he finds you gone?"

"He's fast asleep."

"He is a very deep sleeper," Glorfindel laughed, looking up from scrubbing a pan. "The whole of Rivendell could fall down around him and he wouldn't notice as he slept." Legolas nodded, smiling. "So, you never did tell me…why is it you ended up in Imladris when you went to so many other places first? Not that you're not welcome here but I would have thought you'd want to get somewhere safe as soon as possible. Imladris is a long way from Mirkwood."

"My father is a powerful man," Legolas said simply as if that explanation alone answered the question. Clearly it wasn't enough and the prince continued. "They all turned me away. Every one of them." He sounded so dejected that Glorfindel almost felt like throwing his arms around him and holding him close.

"I am surprised even Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn turned you away from Lorien."

Legolas scoffed. "I never even got an audience with them. The Galadhrim never let me pass over the border."

Once more, Glorfindel was startled by this. Legolas had always been a friend to Lothlorien even when Thranduil's relationship was somewhat tense. He had made a lot of allies and friends among the people as well as the soldiers of the Galadhrim. That all of these people would so easily turn him away when he was in such obvious need made Glorfindel's blood boil. How could they be so callous?

"Well, I'm glad you came here," Glorfindel smiled, wiping his hands dry on a towel. Legolas looked up and smiled gently. "And Elrond's glad you came here too," he continued, starting to wipe the dishes and stack them on the side board and Legolas couldn't help but grin shyly. "He really misses you when you go away for so long."

"He does?"

"He's virtually inconsolable," Glorfindel assured, pleased when Legolas blushed slightly. "And he loves you, Legolas. And he will love those children. He'll always be there for you, no matter what." Glorfindel truly meant this too. After Elrond's wife had succumbed to the wounds inflicted by the Orcs that had attacked her and sailed to the Undying Lands, Glorfindel had feared that he might never recover. It had been somewhat of a surprise when he had found himself attracted to the young prince of Mirkwood – to Elrond as much as anyone. It had been painfully tentative at first. Legolas usually only visited with his father so was almost always on duty. Their relationship had first become evident upon his third visit to Imladris and consisted of discreet, nervous glances over the table then a lot of blushing. It had then progressed into a slightly awkward conversation, which had slowly blossomed into a full-blown friendship.

After that initial friendly meeting, things had gotten easier between the pair and whenever Legolas visited Imladris they spent hours talking or sitting in the Halls of Fire listening to the music or just sitting in companionable silence. Of course, neither had broached the topic of their obvious attraction. Elrond still felt tied to his marriage and Legolas was most definitely restricted by his overbearing father. Only when Thranduil was not around did they loosen up around each other and actually grow to enjoy each other's company.

It had been perfectly evident to everyone but the pair themselves that an attraction was blooming between them. Even Elladan and Elrohir started dropping cryptic but suggestive hints to their father and friend but Elrond would merely shoot them a cold glare and send them on their way with a sharp word. Legolas, however, would just laugh dismissively but send an almost longing look toward the Lord of Imladris, which of course did not go unnoticed by the ever-observant twins.

Glorfindel wasn't sure exactly when they had decided to become more than just friends but it had warmed his heart when Elrond had nervously confided in him about their mutual attraction. Far from the judgemental anger Elrond had been expecting, Glorfindel had encouraged their union, as had the rest of the Peredhel family.

Unfortunately, Thranduil had not been quite so accepting of his son's choice. In fact, the king had been down-right furious. When Legolas had returned to Rivendell after telling his father of their relationship he had been absolutely miserable but had found consolation in Elrond's arms. When Thranduil had realised that nothing he did – or threatened to do – would deter his son from this path he had reluctantly given up and allowed the relationship with very strict rules and conditions attached. They were strictly forbidden to use their relationship for any political gain or – what he considered to be - their inevitable break up to affect any agreements between the two kingdoms. Of course, they had agreed to this. Thranduil's strictest rule was harder to abide by as it made them both angry. They were forbidden to flaunt their relationship in front of the king or in Mirkwood. The insinuation was obvious and neither of them liked that the king was so disapproving of them. Even so, they made it work despite the fact that Legolas still spent most of his time in Mirkwood. It was difficult being parted at first but both were of a patient nature and their separation only made the time they did have together all the sweeter.

As time went on, a true, deep love developed between them, evident to everyone in Rivendell. It had been good for the lonely Elven lord and for the flighty young prince. For a long time, Glorfindel had hoped that they would come to some kind of arrangement so that they could spend some proper time together.

This was hardly the solution that either one of them had been hoping for but Glorfindel prayed that it would work out. And a child would bring them together even further. Obviously, Legolas craved contact with his father but Glorfindel hoped that his love for Elrond would at the very least ease the pain of their forced separation.

"Glorfindel?" Legolas called for the second time and Glorfindel snapped out of his thoughts and focused on the prince, who was smiling gently at him. "Perhaps I have detained you for too long. It's late and you look tired," he continued, rising.

Glorfindel stood with him and grinned. "Perhaps you are correct. Goodnight, my Lord." Legolas nodded to him then went to leave but Glorfindel's voice halted him. "And, Legolas, if you ever need to talk, about anything, I am always here."

"Thank you," Legolas smiled genuinely before slipping from the kitchens.

Feeling rather more relaxed than he had before, Legolas took a leisurely walk back to Elrond's rooms so by the time he climbed back beneath the sheets, he was sufficiently worn out. After getting as comfortable as he was ever likely to get, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep to the reassuring sound of Elrond's steady breathing.

When Elrond woke to the bright morning sunlight spilling from the open windows, he immediately rolled over and wrapped his arm over Legolas' sleeping form, bringing his hand to his love's stomach and feeling the children growing inside there. Legolas remained asleep and Elrond wasn't keen on waking him, knowing how his partner tired these days. Burying his face into Legolas' fine, blonde hair, he closed his eyes and revelled in the prince's warmth.

As always when he was with Legolas, Elrond felt utterly contented and not weighed down with the responsibilities of running his realm. Everything felt better – easier – with Legolas near him and he loved that closeness. Too much of their time together had been spent counting down the hours until they were parted again. Now that he knew he could have his true love by his side forever he felt more satisfied than he had in a long time.

Unfortunately, only an hour later, Legolas stirred at his side, tensing slightly before remembering where he was and relaxing. Elrond looked up at him and smiled when Legolas glanced over his shoulder at him. The prince shifted so they were face to face and he actually looked peaceful for a change.

"How did you sleep?" Elrond finally broke the comfortable silence.

"You really didn't hear me get up?" Legolas asked incredulously with a short laugh. Elrond shook his head innocently and Legolas laughed fully at him. "Well, I did. But Glorfindel made me dinner and we talked so by the time I came back here I was tired enough to ignore the babies' efforts to kick their way out of me."

"You talked to Glorfindel last night?" Elrond asked in surprise and Legolas nodded in confirmation. "I didn't know you two were that close."

"We weren't but he has been very kind to me since I came here and he was also awake last night." Elrond smiled, secretly pleased that Legolas was finally making real friends in Imladris. He'd been so isolated and distant during his time in the haven and it had been starting to worry Elrond. "You have a very good seneschal," Legolas said before kissing Elrond softly.

The dark-haired Elf smiled into the kiss and pulled Legolas closer to him, feeling the familiar excitement and anticipation as he felt Legolas' body press tight against his. As their passion rose and their hands started roaming, Legolas felt the pleasant need rising in him and Elrond's firm body told him that his love shared his sentiment.

Just as Elrond was almost tearing off their clothes in desperate desire and Legolas was practically writhing beneath him, a sharp knock came from the door, making them both freeze. Elrond decided that it was worth ignoring and so he turned back to Legolas kissing him deeply again. However, before things could progress any further, the knock sounded again, louder and more demanding this time and, Elrond's frustration making his patience unusually short, the lord snapped out, "What?"

The person on the other side of the door was obviously startled by the uncharacteristic tone as he hesitated before speaking. "My Lord, it has gone nine and you are late for the trade meeting," Erestor's voice called out.

"Give me a minute," Elrond shouted back, returning his attentions back to an almost pleading Legolas.

"But, my Lord, you're already late…"

"Fine. I'm on my way," Elrond growled out.

"Shall I lay out a robe for you, my Lord?" Erestor asked innocently and the handle was pushed down, causing both Elves to sober up immediately.

"No!" Elrond shouted out, stopping Erestor in his tracks. "Do not open the door. I'm on my way; just give me a minute to get dressed." He bowed his head to Legolas' bare shoulder and heard the prince sigh beneath him.

"I shall wait out here then, sir," Erestor's dutiful voice called again.

"No need. I'll only be a minute. Wait out in the hall," Elrond ordered sternly. He waited until he heard Erestor leave before he sat up and met Legolas' eyes, which he noticed gleamed with frustration and disappointment. "I'm sorry. I have to go, my love," Elrond said, bending down and kissing Legolas again.

When he pulled away, Legolas dragged him back down, breathing, "Stay."

Elrond chuckled at the pleading request. "I wish I could but if I do, Erestor is going to come in here and drag me away." Legolas groaned softly, seeing the logic of that; as open as they were about their relationship, some things were private and they didn't particularly want to flaunt it in front of anyone, least of all the house's major domo. "We can pick this up tonight, my love. I promise," Elrond said, trailing kisses down Legolas' exposed neck and chest and pausing when he reached his swollen stomach. "But right now I have to go."

This time, Legolas seemed more understanding as he nodded and said, "Fine. Go. I'll continue with the rooms."

"All right. Don't push yourself too hard." Elrond pressed one final kiss onto Legolas' lips and climbed off the bed to get dressed. The prince remained reclined on the bed, watching as Elrond quickly pulled on his robes and gathered up his papers for the day. "I'll be back as soon as I can." Legolas nodded and sighed as Elrond hurried out the door. Once the Elven lord had left the rooms, Legolas fell back on the bed and closed his eyes.

Elrond found Erestor waiting as ordered out in the corridor and as always the advisor had a smile and a 'good morning' for his lord. This morning though, Elrond just scowled at him and snapped, "This had better be worth it."

"Would you not like breakfast first, sir?"

"No," Elrond snapped, striding down the corridors.

"Is everything all right, Lord Elrond?" Erestor asked, trying to keep up with his striding boss.

"No, everything is not all right," he growled in response, not even slowing.

"I'm sorry. What is…?"

Erestor didn't even have time to finish his question before Elrond had stopped and spun around to face him. "You! You insufferable…" He had to bite his lip to keep from saying something he might later regret. "Sometimes, Erestor, I could just…" Elrond sighed, his pointless anger draining away. "Just for once I would like not to be pulled away into futile meetings, that's all. Come on, let's get this over with."

"Yes, my Lord. I will try to make the meeting as short as possible so you can get back to…whatever it was that you were doing," Erestor said knowingly, actually causing a faint blush to cross Elrond's cheeks.

However, Elrond held his head high and nodded sharply. "Thank you," he said, although he noticed his voice was slightly husky. Ignoring the amused twinkle in his advisor's eyes, Elrond strode off towards his destination, refusing to be beaten by his major domo.

**To Be Continued…**


	7. Premonitions

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created. Promise.**

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****Yes this is an m-preg, as in male pregnancy. I know anatomically it is impossible in the real world but I like the idea (mainly for the Legolas suffering that goes with it). Please, if you are dead set against this kind of thing then don't read then complain that you weren't warned.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 7 ~ Premonitions **

**OIOI**

Legolas once more spent the day trying to sort out the bedroom but more importantly trying to put that morning's activities with Elrond from his mind. He had not so much as considered the physical aspect of their relationship since he had come to Rivendell two months ago, although he felt certain that it had crossed Elrond's mind at some point. Not that Elrond had ever mentioned anything – he was too kind and too patient for that. So Legolas had been rather surprised to find himself longing for Elrond's touch that morning. Perhaps it was his pregnancy that made the thought of having Elrond in bed with him so clear in his mind.

During lunch, when his helpers – as promised by Glorfindel the night before they were more helpful than the previous choices – went off to eat in the dining hall, Legolas lowered himself onto the sofa and closed his eyes in a futile attempt to get the explicit thoughts out of his head. Unfortunately, that only made it worse so he was glad when a knock came from the door and Glorfindel was revealed.

"You weren't in the dining hall and I thought you might be hungry so I brought you some food." He laid the tray on the table. "I'm sorry to say it was prepared by the chef instead of a real culinary expert," he said, gesturing to himself with mock seriousness and Legolas couldn't help but laugh as he was offered a plate. "So, how is it going?" Glorfindel asked, taking a seat in the chair opposite Legolas.

"Did you know that Elrond's chambers were full of unwanted diplomatic gifts, including five woollen dresses from Rohan?" he asked as he took a bite of his sandwich.

"Ah yes. For Arwen no doubt. Elrond is somewhat of a hoarder of possessions. You should be thankful that you don't have to tackle his office or the main library."

"I've been in this room hundreds of times and never seen any of this. I mean, what possible use could a person have for ten separate serving sets? No one needs that many spoons," he said sourly.

"Political gifts. Erestor usually takes them but I suppose Elrond kept some for himself. I'm sure we can find an empty room to store all Elrond's clutter in. You'll need some space for yourself in here."

"I don't really own anything," he said softly, dampening the pleasant mood. It was true; he had come to Rivendell with nothing but his travelling clothes. He no longer even owned his precious family heirlooms, which he had been forced to sell on the road for food and shelter.

Glorfindel watched in silence as a range of emotions flittered across the prince's face. After a minute though he sat forward in his chair, refusing to let the young Elf wallow in misery. "Then we will have to get you some new things," he declared firmly. "Get your cloak."

"Why? Where are we going?"

"We'll walk into town visit the shops."

Legolas stood up but said, "But I have no money to buy anything so what's the point?"

Glorfindel looked amused by this and snatched Legolas' cloak off the hook. "Legolas, you are partner to the Lord of Imladris. Elrond has money and he would be more than willing to have you buy some things for yourself. You deserve that at least. Come, we will find some servants to help us."

As Legolas fastened his cloak, he stressed, "You really don't have to do this, you know?"

"I know."

"You must have better things to do with your time."

"You are preferable to paperwork," Glorfindel grinned. "Come on, we'll stop by the office and let Elrond know where we're going and get some money."

"It doesn't feel right taking money off him," Legolas said quietly as they walked down the halls towards Elrond's office.

"You're not taking it off him; he'll willingly give it to him. And he'll want to make you happy." They reached Elrond's office but he was not there so Glorfindel walked straight over to the desk. "We'll just leave him a note." He hurriedly scribbled out a note and took out a pouch of coins from the desk drawer. "Right, let's go." Before Legolas could protest again he dragged him from the room.

It didn't take long for them to reach the small town just outside the house's boundaries. Despite being located away from the main house, the small grouping of shops were well within Elrond's protection and used by many of Rivendell's full time residents as well as its frequent visitors. Legolas himself had been there countless times and found it quite charming. The proprietors did good trade as it was close to the main road. The shops may have been small but they provided everything you could possibly ever want, making it a perfect place for friends and strangers to congregate.

Legolas suddenly found himself unnecessarily self-conscious despite the fact the few people who were milling around were set on their own tasks and paid little attention to anyone else Glorfindel urged him forward and Legolas reluctantly obeyed.

Surprisingly, after the first few shops Legolas actually started getting into the trip, particularly when they came across a store selling baby supplies. Drawn to it, Legolas eagerly stepped inside, closely followed by Glorfindel, who stood in the doorway patiently. The prince wandered around, ignoring the eager shop-keeper who constantly and rather enthusiastically offered her assistance.

Within five minutes he had picked out and purchased several things to take back to the house. Right at the back of the small, cluttered store were the things that really caught Legolas' eye - a selection of beautifully crafted cribs. One in particular attracted him. Made out of beautiful dark wood and engraved with delicate leaf patterns and winding vines, it looked just like something that would be found in Mirkwood. He ran long, gentle fingers over the intricate carvings, feeling the soft grain of the wood.

A quick glance around the shop told him that this was a one-off piece and yet the more he looked at it the more he felt it was right for him. For some strange reason, this sent a wave of irrational terror through him and his hand shot down to his swollen stomach. _Two._ He needed _two_ cribs, not just one. For a moment though the thought simply would not leave him and suddenly the world seemed to tilt away from him and light-headedness made him sway on his feet.

"Your Highness!" Glorfindel exclaimed, rushing forward and supporting the prince. "Your Highness, are you all right?" he asked in concern as Legolas leaned against him with his eyes closed and taking deep breaths.

"I want to go home. I have to see Elrond," Legolas told him breathlessly.

"Is it the babies?" Glorfindel asked urgently but Legolas just shook his head absently, dismissing the question. "All right, let's get you home. Can you walk?" Legolas nodded and Glorfindel led him out of the shop, telling one of their accompanying guards to settle payment for the prince's purchases.

Thankfully, it didn't take long to reach the house and, holding firmly onto Legolas' arm, Glorfindel led him into the entrance hall. "Send Lord Elrond to his chambers at once. Tell him Prince Legolas needs him," Glorfindel ordered a servant. He took Legolas straight to their rooms and led him through to the bedroom. The bed was still covered with clothes and trinkets but Glorfindel simply swept them off and coaxed, "Here, lie down." Legolas did so, easing himself down onto the bed and pulling his legs up. Glorfindel went to remove the prince's shoes but Legolas stopped him.

"Don't touch me," the blonde Elf said quietly, although not unkindly. In truth, all of his strength and concentration was focused on feeling his children and he couldn't be distracted from that. Glorfindel seemed to understand that and obediently stepped back, giving him some room.

Meanwhile, Legolas closed his eyes and repositioned his hands on his stomach. After a few tense moments, Glorfindel started pacing back and forth nervously before blurting out, "Where is Elrond?"

As if the words had summoned him, Elrond burst through the doors, his eyes wide with panic. They immediately came to rest on Legolas, who still hadn't broken his concentration. "Legolas! What happened?" he demanded, striding to the bed. When he took Legolas' hand the prince opened his eyes and Glorfindel was surprised to find that they were considerably clearer and less panicked now. He even managed to offer his love a weak smile. This seemed to also calm Elrond a bit and he relaxed before turning to Glorfindel and saying, "What exactly happened?"

"We were shopping and he suddenly felt faint. I brought him right back here," Glorfindel explained as calmly as he could.

Elrond nodded and turned back to Legolas. "How are you feeling now?"

The young Elf looked up at him and answered truthfully, "Better now I'm laid down."

"Good." Elrond stroked Legolas' hair from his face. "Let me examine you then you need to rest," he said before turning back to his seneschal. "Thank you, mellon nin. Will you excuse us?"

"Of course, my Lord." Glorfindel quietly left the room, for the time being ignoring the concern he felt for the prince's well-being.

"Do you mind?" Elrond asked, gesturing to the prince's shirt and Legolas obediently pulled it up, revealing his stomach. By the time Elrond had finished thoroughly examining him, Legolas had calmed down and whatever strange turn had scared him so much earlier had dimmed, leaving him only slightly confused. "Well, everything seems to be fine," Elrond assured, lowering Legolas' shirt. "How are you feeling now?"

"Fine now. I don't know what came over me," Legolas said with a rather tense smile.

"It is not uncommon to feel lightheaded during pregnancy. You have been pushing yourself too hard lately." Legolas nodded softly. "Do you want to…?"

"I think I just want to sleep for a while," Legolas answered quietly.

"Of course. You should rest. I'll leave you for a while to get some sleep." Elrond stood up and pulled the drapes shut to darken the room as Legolas made himself more comfortable on the bed. "I'll be around if you need anything; just shout." The younger Elf didn't reply but just closed his eyes, so Elrond slipped from the room, leaving his love to sleep.

Just outside in the corridor, Glorfindel was pacing nervously and he looked up when Elrond exited the prince's room. "How is he?" the seneschal asked as soon as he set eyes on his lord.

"He's resting now but he seems well enough and the babies are both fine," Elrond assured, relieved beyond words that nothing serious was amiss.

"Then what happened?"

Elrond shook his head, leaning back against the wall and running his hands through his hair. "He was probably just tired. He's been pushing himself harder than he really should at this stage in his pregnancy."

The seneschal looked thoughtful for a moment before voicing his concerns. "In the shop, he looked…stricken."

"Stricken?"

"He looked so scared for a moment but he wouldn't say why. I've never seen him look quite so panicked before," Glorfindel confided. "I just thought that you needed to know."

"Thank you. I will talk to him more once he has rested."

"If you don't need anything else, I'll go to the office and clear your desk so you can stay with the prince."

"Thank you, Glorfindel. And thank you for bringing him home safely."

Glorfindel bowed and said, "You are most welcome, my Lord." The captain then turned to make sure his lord would not be disturbed for a good long while. He and Legolas deserved some time alone after the scare.

Elrond immediately returned to his rooms and was surprised to find Legolas no longer in his bed but was instead walking around the bedroom, picking up everything that Glorfindel had spilled from the bed onto the floor. Even though his large stomach prevented him from displaying his usual grace in bending and moving around, he worked confidently and steadily almost as if nothing at all had happened that day.

"Legolas, what are you doing?" Elrond finally asked, stepping forward and making his presence known.

Legolas didn't even look up at his voice but continued to pick up the scattered books. "Tidying up this mess."

"You should be resting," Elrond urged, striding forwards and placing his hands on Legolas' shoulders to cease his movement. "You are not well."

"You just examined me and said yourself that we are all well. I don't need to rest," Legolas answered curtly, shrugging Elrond's hands off his shoulders.

"You look tired."

"Thank you," Legolas snapped irritably, clearly taking the comment badly. He bent down and went to pick up an errant tunic but when he tugged on it he found the sleeve trapped under Elrond's booted foot. "Excuse me," he said, pulling at the tunic again.

"Legolas…" Elrond tried.

The prince grabbed Elrond's foot and went to push it aside but the stubborn Elven lord stood firm. "Move," Legolas shouted angrily and tugged on the garment one last time but Elrond obviously wasn't going to move and Legolas cried out in frustration as he released the tunic and abruptly stood upright. He went to storm past Elrond but the healer grabbed his arm to stop him. "Let me go!" Legolas shouted, trying to wrench himself free of Elrond's grip but it appeared he was not going to escape from the room, which only made his anger and frustration rise and he found himself actually struggling to get free. To his annoyance, tears gathered in his eyes and started to trickle down his pale cheeks.

Without a moment's hesitation, Elrond pulled the young prince into his embrace and held him tightly, pleased to find that his struggles died down. Once Legolas had regained some control over his emotions he pulled back, wiping his face with his sleeves.

"Are you all right?" Elrond asked, taking Legolas' hands in his own. "Come and sit down." He led Legolas over to the bed and the prince complied without protest. Once they were sat side by side on the bed, hands still joined, Elrond asked again, "What is wrong?"

Legolas shook his head, looking to the floor. "I don't know."

"Does this have something to do with what happened today?" Elrond pressed gently but Legolas didn't answer. "They are fine, you know. Their heart beats are both strong and they are moving around well enough. You are going to be fine."

"I know," the prince said softly.

"Then what is wrong? I know you were scared but everything's all right now."

Legolas stressed, "_I know_. I don't know what's…" Legolas shook his head again, unable to find the words to explain his feelings. He didn't want to tell his partner about his strange turn in the baby supply store. For all he knew he was being completely irrational. Already the panic he had felt earlier was fading, leaving him feeling rather embarrassed at his massive overreaction to a random fear over his pregnancy. He knew that if he told Elrond about it though, even if it did sound utterly crazy, the healer would immediately panic and no doubt confine him to bed and watch him like a hawk. He sighed heavily and said, "I'm sorry."

Elrond didn't seem entirely satisfied with the lack of answer but he smiled gently anyway, squeezing Legolas' hand tightly. "You're sure you're all right?"

"I'll be fine." Legolas forced a smile.

"All right." Elrond placed a tender kiss on Legolas' lips, which the prince forced himself to return even though he still felt guilty about hiding his concerns for their children.

The prince smiled when Elrond pulled back. Looking around the still-cluttered room, Legolas sighed, having suddenly lost all his previous nervous energy. "I suppose I should tidy up this mess."

"No, you look exhausted. You should rest. I can tidy up."

Legolas frowned. "Don't you have to get back to the office?"

"Glorfindel has cleared my appointments for the remainder of the afternoon so I can stay with you; if you don't mind the company."

"No," Legolas said with a more genuine smile.

"Why don't you get changed into something more comfortable and go to bed for a while before the evening meal?"

Legolas nodded but said, "Maybe I'll take a bath first, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. Take your bath and try to relax. It'll give me time to clean up a bit in here." Elrond pulled Legolas briefly against him and pressed a kiss on Legolas' forehead. "I love you, Legolas. Don't ever forget that."

"I love you too." The young Elf got up and retreated to the bathroom, closing the door quietly behind him. For a moment, Elrond stared after him. Even though he had said nothing outright, he was worried about his love. Upon his arrival to Imladris he had naturally been withdrawn but Elrond had thought that in the last month he had come out of his shell. This small setback seemed to have hit him hard and he had once again retreated into himself. Elrond hated that the person he loved was hurting. He knew that the pregnancy was getting harder – and would get harder yet – and that this incident had scared him far more than he was letting on. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could really do except try to make him feel as secure and comfortable as possible. It wasn't easy given Legolas' pride and stubbornness but thankfully when it came to the person he loved, Elrond's patience was infinite. Legolas needed him and that was all that mattered.

Whilst Legolas took a long, relaxing bath, Elrond set about tidying up the room. He made sure the floor was clear but didn't pay too much attention to where he moved it. No doubt Legolas would move it again soon anyway. Pretty soon the room was tidy enough to sleep in and Elrond went outside to ask a maid to bring both him and Legolas some tea and dinner.

By the time he had returned to the bedroom, Legolas was just emerging from the bathroom, his long hair damp and hanging over his bare shoulders. He had a large towel wrapped around his stomach, which, due to the large bump came only halfway up his thighs. For a moment, Elrond could do nothing but gaze adoringly at the tall prince. Before Legolas had become pregnant he had always been physically attractive and constantly had suitors surrounding him, hoping to earn his affections and it certainly had been what captured Elrond's attentions initially. And beneath the stunning, powerful exterior was a truly beautiful soul, which was rather unfortunately concealed until a person could get close enough to properly see it. That Elrond had been allowed a glimpse into this rarely revealed soul made him feel privileged beyond belief.

When Legolas had informed him of the pregnancy some dark recess of the Elven lord's mind had been troubled about how exactly he would view the changing body. He'd seen both male and female pregnancies before and they had not troubled him but Legolas was his partner and he wasn't exactly sure how he would react to that.

But now, Elrond didn't think he had ever looked so lovely. His heart swelled with love and he knew that he was openly staring with tears in his eyes.

Legolas must have noticed this as he was staring back with a flicker of annoyance in his eyes, obviously misinterpreting Elrond's fascination. "What?" he snapped impatiently.

Slowly, Elrond took a few steps forward and took Legolas' hands in his own, looking deep into shining blue eyes. "You're so…" He shook his head, unable to find the correct word. Reaching up, he placed his hands on either side of Legolas' confused face. "I just…You are everything to me, Legolas. I love you."

Legolas offered him a rather shaky smile and said, "You've only just said that."

The dark-haired Elf leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Legolas' trembling lips. When he pulled back he continued, "Yes, but I want to tell you a thousand times a day."

Legolas laughed softly. "Then you would never leave my side."

"I could live with that."

"You would never get any real work done."

"Huh. Imladris doesn't really need me. Glorfindel and Erestor can manage," Elrond said, placing tickling kisses along Legolas' jaw and cheek.

"I'm afraid you would simply get bored of me," Legolas warned although he sounded a little breathless under Elrond's attentions.

"Never," Elrond whispered fiercely, kissing down Legolas' neck and over his shoulder, slowly drawing the prince into his embrace. He could already feel the heat rising between them and Legolas seemed just as eager to succumb to the feelings. Still pressing kisses over Legolas' upper body, Elrond breathed, "Shall we pick up where we left off this morning?"

In between deep, passionate kisses, Legolas said, "Definitely."

Together they moved towards the bed, never moving apart. When they reached the bed, Elrond turned Legolas around and pushed the pregnant Elf gently back so he was lying on the bed. Luckily for them, the prince wore only a towel and Legolas made short work of Elrond's robes, his hands gliding over well-formed muscles as he went, only heightening their arousal.

Elrond was always gentle, taking extra care to avoid putting pressure on Legolas' swollen stomach. By the time they were both spent they were considerably more relaxed and contented. Legolas lay in Elrond's arms and both were covered in a sheet. Elrond was running his fingers through the prince's now dry hair, which was starting to make him a little drowsy. It felt good to be peaceful for a change, especially with Elrond pressed up against him. And to think he had been nervous about doing this just this morning when now in the wake of Elrond's loving touch he was practically glowing. He sighed softly, snuggling closer to Elrond and tucking his head neatly under the Elven lord's chin so he could lie comfortably against the broad chest. Elrond immediately shifted, wrapping his arms around the younger Elf and dropping a kiss onto his golden head. He resumed his soothing and soon Legolas had drifted off into a peaceful, fear-free slumber.

IOIOIOIOIOI

**Legolas Nine Months Pregnant…**

"Good morning. How are you feeling?" Elrond asked cheerfully, throwing open the drapes and flooding the bedroom with bright, mid-morning sunlight. He then flung open the balcony doors to allow the warm winter air in. This was the first pleasant morning they had had in weeks and Elrond guessed that the Wood Elf would want to enjoy it.

Apparently, he guessed wrong, as Legolas pulled the sheets up over his head with a loud groan of disapproval. "Go away," he mumbled from beneath the mass of blankets.

Ignoring the prince's rather grouchy greeting, Elrond grabbed the edge of the sheet and whipped it off of Legolas, who was curled up as tightly as his swollen stomach would allow. "It's time to get up," Elrond announced with a grin as Legolas turned his face into the pillow to block out the light of the morning.

"I said, go away," Legolas snapped, blindly reaching out for the sheets Elrond had messily folded at the bottom of the bed.

Elrond grabbed the groping hand and squeezed it tightly but Legolas abruptly snatched it back and folded his arm around himself as if to simulate the warmth and comfort of the missing bed clothes. The Elven lord just laughed though. "Come on, it's nearly eleven. Come down and have some breakfast whilst they're serving in the dining hall."

"I'm not hungry," Legolas' muffled voice came from the pillow.

"You have to eat something." Due to the fact that his cravings changed from hour to hour, Elrond made sure that he ate at every meal although allowed Legolas to choose what he wanted. The chef had so far complained nearly once a day to Elrond about the strange combinations Legolas requested. Unfortunately, when the chef had insisted that Legolas at least attempt to eat what everyone else had for lunch it had resulted in an extremely hasty exit and an afternoon recovering from the relentless nausea. After that, the Imladrian cooks had been more accepting and now pretty much prepared him what he wanted when he wanted it, something Elrond whole-heartedly approved of.

"Go away," Legolas moaned, turning over onto his back with a slight wince when his back protested.

Elrond took Legolas' hands and gave them a slight tug, forcing Legolas to sit up with a groan. The prince finally opened his eyes, this time wincing at the light. He shot a glare at Elrond, which the lord pointedly ignored.

"Come and eat something," Elrond coaxed.

This time Legolas whined, "I am not hungry."

At the rather uncharacteristic tone, Elrond's smile turned into a frown. He sat down beside his partner on the bed and smoothed Legolas' ruffled hair then his hand slid down to Legolas' large stomach, caressing it tenderly. "Are you all right?" he asked with serious concern.

"I'm fine," Legolas snapped, shifting purposefully away from Elrond's hand.

"Tell me the truth," Elrond demanded.

"I am. I just don't like being dragged out of bed at a ridiculous hour of the morning," Legolas said, swatting Elrond's hand away when he took his arm. "Now can I please have the sheets back?"

Elrond obediently released his hold on both Legolas and the sheets but his grin returned. "I never thought I would see the day that the proud crown prince of Mirkwood would want to laze in bed all day long."

The very second the words left his lips Elrond regretted them. Although he had settled down significantly over the past couple of months the subject of what he had been his home or previous rank was still a sore one and was usually avoided as much as possible. Legolas never said much about his past life but Elrond was well aware that it still upset and troubled him. The last thing he needed was for someone – particularly someone he trusted – to crack glib jokes about his loss.

"Legolas, I'm sorry," Elrond said quickly.

The pregnant Elf struggled to sit on the edge of the bed and said dismissively, "Don't worry about it."

Elrond stood as Legolas did, although the prince refused the proffered helping hand as he got to his feet with an effort that made Elrond regret even waking him. "Legolas, I didn't mean…"

"It's fine."

"No, it's not fine." Elrond held Legolas carefully in place so he couldn't walk away as he clearly intended to do. "I shouldn't have spoken to you like that. I'm so sorry."

Legolas smiled falsely. "Don't worry about it." He went to move past Elrond but the Elven lord held firm, rightly unconvinced. "Can I get to the bathroom, please?"

"Do you forgive me?"

"Yes." Elrond placed a kiss onto his cheek before stepping aside. Striding past Elrond as best he could, Legolas closed the bathroom door behind him. Elrond sighed heavily and sat down on the bed, pushing aside the mussed bed sheets, wondering when it had become so dangerous to speak freely around Legolas. The Wood Elf had always been so easy going, especially around his partner. No matter how much pressure was being put on him from the outside world – and there was often a lot – with each other they could always be honest without fearing the political consequences. To everyone else they were the Lord of Imladris and the Crown Prince of Mirkwood but away from the prying eyes of the public they were just Elrond and Legolas. Now everything seemed so much more difficult. He was wary over everything he said.

He supposed he couldn't blame Legolas. This pregnancy was not easy. Elrond could see how quickly he tired these days and the extra weight was getting uncomfortable. Not to mention the fact that he was clearly still upset about the king's rejection of him. Unfortunately, there was very little Elrond could do about the either thing. The pregnancy was necessary and Elrond could not force a relationship between father and son, especially seeing as Thranduil hated him even more than Legolas.

When the prince emerged from the bathroom he was dressed in loose-fitting clothes that had been specially tailored for him to accommodate his growing size. At least they were comfortable for him now and disguised the size of his belly a little. Although all of Imladris knew the truth, Legolas was not keen to flaunt his condition and Elrond respected that decision, doing all he could to make him feel comfortable.

Elrond stood when he stepped out of the bathroom and smiled broadly. "You look nice today," the Elven lord smiled.

"Thank you," Legolas said politely, although to Elrond it sounded strained and forced.

"Are you ready to get some breakfast?" Elrond then asked, trying to keep the conversation light.

"Yes."

Legolas followed Elrond through the corridors, as always walking a couple of paces behind just as protocol in Imladris demanded of its guests rather than its residents. Countless times, Elrond had told him that it was unnecessary but it seemed almost natural now. It seemed that Legolas had completely abandoned his previous role within Elven society and all hopes that he could ever be considered as Elrond's equal again.

As they approached the dining rooms' large double doors, an excited chorus of familiar voices caught Legolas' attention. It took him a moment to remember where he had heard them before but when he did, he stopped in his tracks, stunned and horrified.

**To Be Continued…**


	8. Family Complications

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created. Promise.**

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****Yes this is an m-preg, as in male pregnancy. I know anatomically it is impossible in the real world but I like the idea (mainly for the Legolas suffering that goes with it). Please, if you are dead set against this kind of thing then don't read then complain that you weren't warned.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 8 ~ Family Complications **

**OIOI**

Elrond was nearly at the doors to the dining hall when he realised that Legolas was no longer behind him and he turned around to find Legolas standing stock still halfway down the corridor, his face drained of colour. Elrond strode back to him and took his arm in concern. "Legolas, what's wrong?" he asked urgently, his other hand going to the swollen stomach as if to check on the twins.

It took a while for Legolas to be able to speak. "Elladan and…Your sons are here," he finally managed to choke out in a fearful voice.

Elrond looked over at the doors to the dining room before turning his attention back to the prince. "They arrived home at dawn. I thought I told you that they were bringing Arwen home this week."

Legolas looked exasperated by this. "No, you didn't tell me."

"What is wrong? It's just the twins and Arwen," Elrond said comfortingly. "Come in and have something to eat," he then urged, taking Legolas' hand.

"No, I can't go in there." Legolas pulled away from Elrond.

"Why not?"

"Because…they are in there," Legolas stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"So?"

Legolas looked genuinely incredulous at this. "They…They're your…And I'm…"

"Love, you are making no sense. You know that I have already told them about us and the pregnancy and they're all fine with it," Elrond soothed reassuringly.

"But, I can't…It's complicated. I'm not ready for this."

"For what?"

Legolas shifted on his feet in annoyance. "I can't face them right now."

"Legolas, there is nothing complicated about this. It's just breakfast; that's all you have to do today. They will be fine, I promise you." Elrond pulled Legolas into a hug and held him for a moment before pulling back and placing a light kiss on Legolas' lips. "Come on, you have to eat something and we can't stand out here all day."

Legolas pulled his robe straight and seemed to pull himself together at the same time; he even looked taller and prouder then he had done in a long time. "How do I look?" he asked Elrond in concern.

"You look wonderful, as always," Elrond smiled.

"If I'd known, I would have worn something more appropriate," Legolas fussed as they walked slowly towards the doors.

"They won't care what you're wearing, melleth nin, so stop panicking. It'll be fine." He put his hand on the door handle and asked, "Ready?" Legolas took a deep breath and nodded so Elrond opened the door to reveal his three children sat around the table regaling Glorfindel with tales of their time in Lorien.

All of them looked up when the pair entered and there was a moment of tense silence as everyone turned and three pairs of eyes went immediately to Legolas' stomach, which he protectively placed his hand on. Although the slightly nervous, tense quiet lasted only a couple of seconds to Legolas it felt like an eternity. He felt Elrond pull him close, a small smile on his face, apparently unfazed by the stares of his children.

Thankfully, the judgemental gazes were interrupted by Arwen standing up and striding over to Legolas with a huge smile. "Legolas, it is so good to see you," she chimed, throwing her arms around him after a moment of hesitation. She hugged him for a moment before pulling back and kissing his cheek, leaving him slightly stunned.

Before he could recover himself, he found two more sets of arms flung around him and the twins hugged him tightly. "Congratulations, Legolas," they both said, also pulling away.

"Thank you," Legolas said, still somewhat bewildered.

"So, Ada is going to be a daddy again," Elladan grinned, patting his father's shoulder.

"And twins too," Elrohir grinned mischievously. "They're the best."

"Someone else to cause mayhem with us finally. Glorfindel and Erestor are getting dull in their old age. But little twins running around the place will be much more exciting," Elladan continued, his eyes twinkling as he and his brother teased his father.

"Are you sure you can handle twins are your age, Ada?"

"Yes, do you remember raising us?"

Elrond shook his head at their antics and answered, "No, I believe I have blocked that past from my mind." Both boys laughed and Arwen smiled serenity but her attention was fixed on Legolas, who had lowered his eyes and shrunk back as if afraid he was intruding upon a family moment that was intended to be private between them and he was just in the way. Despite Elrond's kindness and his children's sweet, heartfelt words he wished to be back in the quiet of his room and the comfort of his bed.

Letting the twins' banter with their father wash over him, Legolas concentrated on the heart beats of his children, wondering idly if they would be anything like Elladan and Elrohir. He hoped so. For all their energetic boisterousness, they both had good hearts and were loyal to a fault.

Finally, Arwen's voice sounded through the chatter and broke Legolas' concentration. "Ada, perhaps we should return to the table. I'm sure Legolas is hungry."

Elrond looked startled over at Legolas and nodded. "Yes, of course. I'm sorry, Legolas." He took the prince's arm and led him to the table.

"Well done for keeping him on his feet for so long, Elrohir," Elladan exclaimed, slapping his hand at his brother's arm.

"Me? It's your fault," Elrohir shot back as they walked to the table where Legolas eased himself into his chair.

Arwen rolled her eyes at her brothers and said, "He is pregnant, not an invalid." She smiled over at Legolas, who flicked her a grateful look.

The twins, suitably told off, took their places, as did Elrond. A plate of food was immediately placed before Legolas but the servers only offered Elrond a mug of tea.

Over the twins' renewed banter, Legolas asked his partner, "Are you not eating?"

Elrond looked over at him and smiled. "I've had breakfast already. But you carry on," he said, taking a sip of his tea and returning his attention to his sons' comedic discussion of their time in Lorien, none of which Legolas paid any attention to.

With no real desire to add any further discomfort to his already churning stomach, Legolas politely picked up his knife and fork and took a small bite of his breakfast. Resisting the urge to snap in annoyance, he concentrated on forcing food down his throat rather than on the eyes he knew were watching him intensely even through the light-hearted conversation. As if this wasn't hard enough. Lately he only ate because Elrond insisted upon it. He found absolutely no pleasure in it anymore, not when he was feeling so unbalanced. This pregnancy was messing with every part of his being. Besides the obvious physical effects, he found it increasingly difficult to control his emotions, which changed so fast that even he could not keep up with them, although he became frustrated when Elrond also couldn't. One minute he was starving and craved certain foods, all of which Elrond at least attempted to provide him with, and the next – like this morning – the very thought of eating made him nauseous.

After several minutes of shuffling his food around the plate, he was startled from his thoughts by Elrond's voice. "Is there something wrong with the food?"

Legolas didn't bother to look up as he answered, "It's fine."

"Chef could prepare you something else if you'd prefer," Elrond continued, concerned by the prince's disinterest in the food.

"I said it's fine."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm just not hungry," he sighed, placing his knife and fork down and pushing his plate away from him.

"Legolas, you have barely touched it." Legolas sighed and propped his elbows up on the table so he could massage his pounding forehead. "Just try to eat something more," the Elven lord urged.

"Please don't," he snapped, his eyes closing in frustration.

"I'm just concerned, that's all," Elrond explained quietly, trying to placate him.

"Well, don't be," Legolas grouched and laid his hands on his stomach.

Although Legolas didn't take offence to his tone – it wasn't the first time Legolas had been short with him during his pregnancy – but he did recoil slightly, his eyes sweeping over the prince's form. He placed his hand on Legolas' arm, acutely aware of the fact that everyone else around the table had fallen silent and were now watching.

"Legolas, are you feeling all right? You look pale," he said gently.

At this, Legolas stood up abruptly, startling everyone. "Thank you," he snapped angrily, his face burning with anger and embarrassment, knowing judgemental eyes were all on him. He knew he wasn't making a very good impression but he couldn't control his annoyance.

"Legolas…" Elrond started, also standing.

"Excuse me," Legolas said quickly, striding away as quickly as his condition would allow.

"Where are you going?" Elrond called after him.

"Out."

"Out where?" Elrond asked but was answered only by the slamming of the door. With worry gnawing at him, the lord of Imladris went to go after him but felt a gentle hand on his arm and looked down to see Arwen serenely keeping him in place. His eyes flicked back to the doors and he turned to leave but his daughter gave his arm a gentle tug. "But Legolas…" he tried to justify leaving.

"Let him go," Arwen said calmly. "Give him some time to cool down."

"But…"

"He'll be fine, Ada," Elladan said, taking his place.

Slowly, Elrond returned to his seat despite the fact that his heart screamed at him to go after his love. When he swept his eyes around the table, he found his children all seated again although they all looked more uncomfortable than they had done previously. Of course, Legolas and Elrond had told them all about their relationship when they had been drawn together and both agreed that if Elrond's children were uncomfortable with it then they would cease immediately. Thankfully, they had been understanding and happy for their father and friend and over time had become comfortable with the unconventional relationship. But they had never really seen the couple fighting and it obviously made them uneasy to witness it now.

"I'm sorry," Elrond offered weakly.

"It's all right, Ada," Arwen smiled understandingly, patting his hand reassuringly.

"He gets tired easy," he continued in defence of his love.

"That's understandable. It must be very hard."

Elrond went to speak again but Erestor appeared in the doorway. "Sorry to interrupt, Lord Elrond, but the ambassadors are asking after you."

With a groan of annoyance, Elrond stood up. "Very well. Excuse me." Everyone smiled at him. "Get some rest today and recover from your journey and tonight we will celebrate your return home."

Whilst Elrond retreated reluctantly back into his negotiations, Legolas ran from the dining hall and frantically searched for the nearest public bathroom. Thankfully, he was quite near the Halls of Fire and pushed through the bathroom door, ignoring the startled looks he received from the servants who were dressing the hall for the party that night. Promptly, Legolas brought up what little he had eaten for breakfast in the basin, his stomach heaving as he had been expecting it to do since he took the first bite of his meal.

By the time he had finished, he was leaning heavily against the sink, trying to catch his breath. Tears were streaming down his flushed face and he wiped them away with trembling hands. He didn't bother looking up at his reflection in the mirror, knowing fully well that it wasn't a pretty sight. Closing his eyes, he tried to pull himself together.

Once he was a little more composed, he straightened out his robes and strode as confidently as he could manage out of the halls and towards the gardens. Being a Wood Elf meant he had a stronger than normal connection with nature and always sought to be outdoors amongst the trees whenever he was troubled.

He headed straight for the cluster of trees at the far end of Elrond's private garden where he knew public eyes would not be on him. Unfortunately, with his enlarged stomach and somewhat precarious balance there was no way he could safely climb the tree as he longed to do. He would never risk his children's safety by endangering himself doing something he wasn't sure he could pull off. Having grown up in the forests of Mirkwood, he felt more at home in the trees than indoors and moved through them with grace and effortless skill and it went against his very nature to now stand at their roots unable to join them in song.

With a defeated sigh, he lowered himself to the grass with his back pressed up against the rough trunk of the large oak. He closed his eyes and listened to the peaceful song of the small wood. The trees seemed to rejoice at his presence and he allowed himself to be comforted by them and all the morning's tension slowly drained away as he basked in the warm sun that filtered through the rustling leaves.

It didn't take long for the gentle sound of the trees and the comfort and support the ancient oak offered, before Legolas was lulled into a doze, feeling safe and protected by the strong presence. All his worries were momentarily forgotten; even the aching in his back eased for the time being.

Whiling away the hours felt good and Legolas revelled in the peace. He didn't hear the soft footsteps approaching slowly although the voice that followed made him jump in surprise.

"Prince Legolas?" Legolas' eyes cracked open to find Glorfindel looking down at him in concern. Apparently, the fact that Legolas responded to his voice was enough to assure Glorfindel that he was all right as his tone was lighter when he next spoke. "Hiding out in the gardens?" Legolas glared at him for stating the obvious but Glorfindel seemed oblivious as he smiled. "That seems more like the familiar Prince of Mirkwood we all know and love." Legolas just closed his eyes as if trying to will Glorfindel away. It didn't work. "May I join you?"

"If you must," Legolas murmured, not bothering to open his eyes. In truth, he just wanted to be left alone. For the first time in months he felt genuinely relaxed and Glorfindel was ruining it.

Unfortunately, Glorfindel didn't seem to pick up on the tone of annoyance and sat down cheerfully next to him, leaning back against the trunk, his wise eyes fixed on the younger Elf beside him. After a few minutes of rather uncomfortable silence, Glorfindel spoke again. "Needed a little time out?" he asked quietly and despite his displeasure at being disturbed, Legolas nodded. "I don't blame you. It can get a little heavy in there sometimes."

"It was Elrond," Legolas said after a while and opened his eyes.

"Ah."

"He was…"

"Fussing?" Legolas nodded, looking over at him with a soft smile. "He's just concerned about you, mellon nin."

"I know," the prince sighed. "But sometimes he smothers me so much I feel like I can't breathe." He laughed humourlessly at his own admission as he said in an almost incredulous voice, "And then the moment he leaves me on my own, I get annoyed that he's not spending any time with me. It's ridiculous. Then this morning I made a complete idiot of myself in front of the twins and Arwen when I should have been making a good impression." The rush of words left him before he even had time to think of what he was saying or the fact that a moment ago he had snapped in frustration at Glorfindel's presence. Thankfully, the seneschal didn't seem fazed by this string of hurried confessions and listened without comment and remained silent as Legolas took a deep breath to calm himself. Finally, Legolas looked to him again and said in a slower, sadder voice, "I shouted at him. I walked away from him."

Knowing this was at last an invitation to offer his advice, Glorfindel smiled softly. "He's a fully grown adult; he can handle it."

Legolas looked down at the ground and whispered, "I think I may have scared him away."

"It takes a lot to scare the ancient and wise Lord of Imladris," Glorfindel said firmly, hating the look of uncertainty on the prince's face. He was terrified that Elrond was going to send him away. And why shouldn't he be? Other people he believed he could trust and rely on had turned their backs on him when they needed them and when he had arrived he had openly admitted to fearing Elrond's reaction and it appeared that fear might have remained despite Elrond's assurances to the contrary. Glorfindel placed his hand on Legolas' arm and said, "You don't have to get defensive every time you two have a quarrel. Elrond isn't going anywhere." This Glorfindel knew to be true. It would take a lot more than a few sharp words to get rid of the tenacious Lord of Imladris.

Legolas seemed to consider this for a moment before smiling softly. "I know. Thank you, Glorfindel." For a minute they sat in companionable silence until Legolas said almost reluctantly, "I should go and apologise."

"I would leave it for a while. Give yourself some time to calm down fully. Elrond will be stuck in meetings for the rest of the afternoon anyway so enjoy the peace and quiet while you have the chance. I will tell him not to be concerned about you." Glorfindel stood up and brushed his robes down before looking down at Legolas. "And don't be concerned about the twins and Arwen. They will be understanding."

"Thank you, Glorfindel."

The captain nodded and said, "I'll be in my office if you need anything." Legolas nodded and watched the seneschal walk back across the gardens, wondering how he could see everything so calmly when Legolas himself felt as if everything was out of control. At least his mind was clearer and his stomach more settled now. That was a start.

Later he would sort things out with Elrond and plead forgiveness from his friends but at right that moment he was at peace. Even the babies were still for a change. With a heavy sigh, he leaned back against the trunk again and closed his eyes, allowing his awareness to drift. All the tension seeped from his body and he found himself more rested.

IOIOIOI

By the time Legolas wandered back to his own chambers it was late afternoon and he had to confess that the time alone had calmed him considerably. Over the past couple of months he had spent a good many evenings alone in his and Elrond's rooms so he was surprised to find his partner waiting for him in the armchair by the fire, a book resting on his lap clearly unread.

"Legolas," Elrond exclaimed, immediately standing but then seeming to force himself to remain where he was although the prince could tell he desperately wanted to come to him. "Are you…?" He stopped himself again, as if just remembering their argument that morning.

Despite himself, Legolas smiled gently. "Just ask," he said. "You know you want to."

At Legolas' joking tone, Elrond grinned and posed the question he longed to ask. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Legolas replied, walking into the room and standing bravely before his love. Despite Glorfindel's reassurances, Legolas had been dreading this moment. He was still terrified that Elrond would turn him away. Swallowing back his nausea at this terrifying possibility, Legolas lowered his eyes and forced out, "I am so sorry about this morning. I don't know what came over me."

He'd barely finished the first word before Elrond had closed the gap between them and enfolded him in his arms. "I'm sorry too. I'm so sorry." Legolas wrapped his arms around the Elven lord's strong frame, his fear for being rejected melting away.

"I had no right to talk to you like that," Legolas continued in Elrond's embrace.

"No, you had every right. It was me. Dragging you out of bed and then showing you off to my children with no time to prepare…It was so stupid of me." Elrond pulled back so he could see Legolas' face. "Can you forgive me?"

Legolas laughed musically but said, "I'll have to think about it." Elrond pulled him back into a hug and held him with reassuring tightness.

When Elrond finally released the prince, both were feeling a lot better and calmer. "Now, later I have a party to attend for my children. Of course you were invited but I think it would be better if you were to rest this evening. I know you didn't get much sleep last night."

Legolas looked up at him in surprise. "How did you know?" He honestly thought Elrond hadn't noticed.

Shrugging, Elrond answered, "I guessed. You should have woken me."

"Why? What could you have done?"

"I could have helped."

Legolas smiled wearily. All this talk of his disturbed night had brought his exhaustion back into stark relief. "How exactly? Have you found a way of keeping our children still during the night hours?"

"No. But we could have sat up together."

"Then we would both have been complete wrecks today instead of just me."

"Legolas, you don't have to handle this on your own. I want to help." Legolas went to protest but the Elven Lord continued on. "Not as your healer but as your children's father and your partner, I want to know when you're uncomfortable or in pain, even if you know there's nothing I can do to help. Please let me do that. I want to be a part of this."

"You are," Legolas assured, having to force back his tears at the heartfelt words.

"So we are agreed then. If things become too much, you'll tell me." Legolas nodded, leaning his head against Elrond's shoulder. "Now, I think you need to get into bed before you fall asleep where you're standing."

Even as Elrond guided him to the bed, Legolas protested. "But I still have to apologise to Elladan and Elrohir and Arwen."

Pushing him down onto the bed, Elrond soothed, "Don't worry. I'll pass on your regrets to them this evening. You have to rest, my love." He eased Legolas into a lying position and the prince found himself unable to protest as his eyes slipped shut. "Sleep, my love," Elrond's voice whispered and he felt a blanket being placed over him and a kiss being planted on his forehead before he lose all awareness.

When sleep finally released his foggy mind, Legolas actually felt reasonably comfortable. The room was dark so he was certain it was night and his natural instincts informed him that it was gone midnight. Tucked up in blankets, Legolas felt warm and safe. Then he realised that Elrond was also laid behind him, his firm, warm body pressed tightly against him and his arms were wrapped securely around him. Legolas allowed his body to relax again and he snuggled further against his love and down into the blankets. Behind him, Elrond stirred but rapidly settled again. For the moment at least, Legolas felt safe and comfortable in his love's embrace.

**To Be Continued…**


	9. Fleeting Shadows

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created. Promise.**

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****Yes this is an m-preg, as in male pregnancy. I know anatomically it is impossible in the real world but I like the idea (mainly for the Legolas suffering that goes with it). Please, if you are dead set against this kind of thing then don't read then complain that you weren't warned.**

**OIOI**

**A/N: I Hope that some people are still reading this. If you are, thank you, and enjoy the next chapter.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 9 ~ Fleeting Shadows Amidst Ardent Desire**

**OIOI**

**Rivendell…One Week Later…**

"Good morning," Legolas smiled brightly as he took his place with the Peredhel family at the breakfast table. Before listening to anyone else, Legolas pulled a plate of fruit towards him and placed his napkin neatly in his lap.

"Morning, Legolas," the twins both chimed out, already tucking into their own food.

Elrond grinned at him from his place at the head of the table and Legolas reached out his hand for Elrond to take, which he did and then kissed the smooth knuckles. "How do you feel this morning?" he asked.

Legolas smiled, swallowing a mouthful of fruit. "We're all fine," he answered cheerfully. Honestly, he couldn't remember when he had felt better. He felt more rested then he had in a long time and although he felt some discomfort it didn't bother him as much as it had done before. The knowledge that his children were safely growing inside him and he was supported by the unshakeable love of his partner lessened his fear considerably and he found himself actually starting to enjoy being pregnant. The sense of being the bearer of new life was thrilling and his newfound joy was infectious, spilling over into the rest of the household.

Grinning warmly at the welcomed display of affection, Elladan asked, "Are you in more negotiations today, Ada?"

Elrond looked up from Legolas, as if surprised to find anyone else in the room with them. Self-consciously, he withdrew his hand and cleared his throat, seemingly oblivious to the discreet smiles that passed between his children.

"No. Glorfindel has managed to give me at least one day free this week, thank the Valar, and I intend to spend it having a picnic in my gardens with my children and my beloved. How does that sound?"

Legolas merely smiled at him around a mouthful of honey bread but Arwen answered politely, "I think a picnic sounds wonderful, Ada."

"It is warm for spring," Elrohir mused.

Elladan quickly caught on to his brother's train of thought. "Very warm," he agreed eagerly.

"Swimming?"

"Swimming."

"Could you two please behave like adults rather than Elflings just for once?" Elrond scolded although he couldn't help but smile. They just grinned stupidly at one another and started whispering their plans for the coming day. By the time they had finished their meal, the two younger Elves' excitement had grown so much that Elrond wondered whether it would be wiser to retract his offer and let his sons find their own release for their pent up energy.

They parted ways with the agreement to meet at the front entrance in an hour, and Legolas and Elrond retreated to their own rooms. As soon as they had stepped inside and closed the door Legolas grabbed Elrond and pulled him into a passionate kiss that took the older Elf's breath away. When they pulled apart Elrond frowned slightly.

"What has gotten into you of late?" Legolas' bright smile fell a little at the words and Elrond instantly regretted speaking them but added with a touch of mischievousness, "Don't get me wrong; I very much approve of it."

The tension in Legolas' shoulders drained away instantly and he answered in a light-hearted voice, "I don't know. For the first time since I found out about these babies it feels…right. My tiredness and nausea have finally left, the children are more settled now and, believe it or not, I actually feel good. I honestly have no idea how long this reprieve is going to last but I fully intend to enjoy it." At this, he dragged Elrond into another kiss and the Elven lord laughed softly at his love's new-found promiscuous nature.

"If you truly desire to enjoy it then I shall not stand in your way," Elrond laughed when they parted.

"Good." Legolas' deft fingers started unbuttoning the Elven lord's robe but Elrond grabbed his hands to stop them from straying too far.

"Legolas, what are you doing?"

The prince raised a disbelieving eyebrow and asked, "What do you think?"

"We have to meet the others within the hour."

"Then I'll be quick," Legolas breathed suggestively against Elrond's slightly parted lips.

There was a short silence during which Legolas placed doting kisses down Elrond's neck but then Elrond kissed him hard then, surprisingly swept him up into his arms. Legolas let out an amused cry of surprise, clinging onto Elrond.

"Be careful; you'll break your back carrying all three of us," Legolas laughed as the lord of Imladris carried him into the bedroom.

"That is a risk I am willing to take," Elrond said seriously, his want for Legolas rising to almost unbearable levels and he gladly kicked the bedroom door closed, fully intending to take advantage of Legolas' newfound desires.

When, an hour later, they strolled hand in hand to the entrance hall they found the other members of their party already waiting for them, the twins pacing around in impatience.

"Where have you two been? We've been waiting for ages," Elrohir cried when he spotted them.

"I am sorry, ion nin, we were…detained," Elrond said, trying – and failing – to keep a huge grin off his face and when he looked to Legolas, he found the prince in the same state as him with the addition of a blush that crept across his cheeks.

Both twins seemed to notice this and Elladan groaned. "Could you two please behave like adults instead of naughty Elflings?" he exclaimed, echoing Elrond's earlier words.

Although they all expected Elrond to chastise the boy, he just pulled Legolas close and kissed him again, for once unconcerned about displaying his private life in front of his children. When he released a pleased-looking Legolas, Elrond said, "I don't think there is much chance of that today, Elladan."

"Is it going to be this way all day long?" Elrohir whined as they walked down the path leading to the private gardens.

"Oh, leave them alone, you two," Arwen laughed musically, looping her arms through those of her identical brothers and walking between them. "I think it's sweet," she smiled back to the two older Elves. Both smiled back and Elrond snaked his arm around Legolas' waist so they were walking close together.

After a leisurely walk through Elrond's blossoming garden, the group followed the path of the river, which was flowing calmly and teeming with wildlife. Eventually, they came to the spot under a huge willow tree where a blanket had been laid out for them and a feast prepared earlier by the eager Imladrian servants. Immediately, the twins dashed off towards it, leaving Arwen to hoist up her skirts and run after them with an exclamation of surprise.

"Let us pray to the Valar that our future children have less energy than those two," Elrond murmured as he and Legolas followed at a more sedate pace.

Legolas' laughter brightened the beautiful, peaceful gardens even further. "I hope they are. I want so much to experience what you did with your children," Legolas said, his free hand straying to his large abdomen and rubbing across it affectionately.

"You will, Legolas. Two months' time and we'll all be a proper family."

"I have to confess that I can hardly wait. I cannot wait for us to be a real family, Elrond."

"Me neither," Elrond said, kissing Legolas deeply again.

"Ada! Come on. Let Legolas go for a minute," Elrohir called from where he sat cross-legged on the blanket beside his siblings.

Elrond did as instructed and Legolas laughed at Elrohir's implication that the lord was inconveniencing him but walked over to the blanket with Elrond trailing behind. The Imladrian lord helped Legolas lower himself rather clumsily to the ground where he leaned back against the trunk of the old willow with a heavy sigh. Elrond sank gracefully down beside him and picked up one of the plate laid out and handed Legolas a large slice of honey cake, which the prince gladly consumed.

The family spent a lazy day by the river. Legolas and Elrond watched contentedly as the Noldor Lord's children swam in the warm water, occasionally flicking water at each other. After their lunch, Legolas moved in front of Elrond and rested back against his broad chest. With Elrond's strong arms wrapped around him, it didn't take long for the blonde Elf dozed off; the sound of nature and the soft breeze blowing over him, firm arms securing him and dexterous fingers tracing feather-light patterns on his stretched skin covering his children lulled him into peaceful reverie.

Despite being all too aware of the presence of three others in their close vicinity, Legolas and Elrond found their minds wandering and perhaps rather inevitably they drifted back to their encounter that morning. Legolas' mind went back to the cosy bedroom, to Elrond's strong, soft hands gliding over his own pale skin, seeking to induce pleasure wherever possible. And Legolas' already overly sensitive body had responded appropriately. In those moments of almost impossible ecstasy, everything felt as though it were aflame and their spirits soared, their hearts beat perfectly in synch and their bodies moved together. The very thought of those moments together sent warmth pulsing through Legolas' body again and a flush rose to his face.

"Are you two not coming in?" a relatively harsh voice made them both jump and look to the river where Elladan was calling to them.

Elrond's first attempt at an answer came out far too husky and he cleared his throat to try again. "No, thank you, ion nin. We're fine here." Legolas felt Elrond shift uncomfortably beneath him and realised with a smile that Elrond's thoughts had also been on that morning and his body had responded in much the same way as Legolas. The prince obligingly moved away so he was instead sat beside the Elven lord. The distance would at least allow them to cool down a little. Unfortunately for a rather flustered Legolas, Elrond had other ideas and he gently pulled long blonde hair aside and started nuzzling the creamy neck before him.

Legolas laughed musically and pulled away so he could look into Elrond's lust-brightened eyes. "This is a slippery slope we're on, my love and your children are but a few feet away."

"You're correct," Elrond almost groaned in frustration. His fingers lingered lightly upon the smooth throat of his love for a moment longer but then common sense seemed to prevail and he tore himself away to lean back against the tree. A minute later though, Elrond sat up straight and announced, "Maybe a dip in cool water would be a good idea after all. Will you be all right here for a moment?"

"Yes, go. Cool off," Legolas smiled and Elrond kissed his cheek before shrugging off his tunic and kicking off his shoes then going to join the others in the river.

Whilst Elrond went off to swim, Legolas reclined back against the willow, closing his eyes and letting peace wash over him once more. The playful, joyous shouts coming from his right were soothing rather than disturbing and he drifted off to sleep again. Rather than the expected explicit dreams, now Legolas' reverie was filled with images of his future family and he found that he was just as satisfied with a gentle family life as with Elrond's body pressed tantalisingly close to his.

"Legolas," Elrond's gentle voice called and he woke to find Elrond sitting beside him with one hand on his shoulder. "Are you all right?"

Stretching, Legolas smiled around a poorly concealed yawn. "Yes, of course."

"Have a good sleep?"

Legolas grinned back at him. "Have a good swim?"

"Yes, thank you," Elrond laughed brightly. "Very refreshing." He leant forwards and kissed soft, compliant lips with tenderness. Before either realised what had happened, Legolas had snaked his arm around Elrond's slim waist and pulled him close again.

"Ada, Legolas, we are still here," Elladan called from the river bank, breaking them apart. It was a good job Elladan had reminded them of the presence of others because their minds – and bodies – were starting to get away from them. With a groan of frustration, Elrond pulled away.

"Perhaps we should retreat back to our rooms," Elrond suggested.

"You know that the moment we set foot inside that house you will be dragged into some meeting or another," Legolas said, running his hands down his face to clear his passion-addled mind. What was wrong with him all of a sudden that he wanted Elrond's hands on him every second of the day and night? Since when had his body become so sensitive to the delicate touches of his lover? He could only assume that it was his pregnancy messing with his mind. As enjoyable as it was, it was hardly appropriate in front of his other friends and he felt a flush of embarrassment at what had nearly occurred between them out in the open.

Gentle fingers started working their way through Legolas' unbraided hair and he relaxed back again, content once more. His own hands strayed to his large stomach and rested there, feeling the babies moving around gently inside. With his eyes closed, Legolas focused on his already strong bond with the twins and felt it pulsing steadily through him. It was extremely soothing to feel the three Elves he loved the most with him. It was difficult to believe that in just two months more he would have the babies with him and they could be a proper family at last. The thought both thrilled and terrified him.

The group spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the food in front of them and their beautiful surroundings. Legolas ate heartily, much to Elrond's pleasure. The morning sickness has finally seemed to subside and he was able to enjoy the fruits and pastries presented to him. It could not be denied by the prince that carrying the twins certainly drained a lot of his strength, although just lately the strain seemed easier to bear. He could only hope that the rest of his pregnancy would go as smoothly.

By the time they had packed everything away in the picnic basket, evening was descending and, truth be told, Legolas was glad to be going back inside; the day had taken a lot out of him and he found himself longing for the warmth and soft comfort of his bed. As they reached the entrance hall, Elrond and Legolas bid goodnight to the twins and Arwen and returned to their own quarters. At the door to the lounge, Elrond pulled Legolas gently into a kiss.

"I should go and check in with Glorfindel. I'll try not to be too long. Get some rest; it had been a long day," Elrond told him and Legolas nodded in agreement before entering their rooms alone.

Although he desperately wanted to climb into a warm bath then retreat to a cosy bed, something instinctual drove him to open another door off to the side of the sleeping chamber and step inside. The brand new nursery had been completed only a week ago and Legolas had examined every inch of it, checking that it was perfect for his children. Only a few minor improvements later, the soon-to-be parents declared it to be perfect.

The room was filled with everything the babies would need along with the numerous presents that had been sent by members of the household, mostly consisting of stuffed cuddly animals.

The pride of the room was surely the two hand-crafted cribs on either side of the room. In the end, Legolas had allowed Elrond to have them commissioned and had, of course, approved of his love's tasteful, practical decisions. At the moment the two cribs held only neatly folded soft baby blankets and a range of stuffed animals.

Now, as Legolas took in the two beautiful cribs which would soon safely hold his and Elrond's children, the same feeling of utter dread he had felt months before in the store with Glorfindel washed over him and actually brought tears to his eyes. He shakily walked over to one of the cribs and ran his hand over the soft covers. After a moment of staring blankly at the cot, terror welling up in his chest, Legolas carefully picked up one of the toys, a large stuffed dog. Instinctively, he pressed it to himself, cuddling it as an Elfling would. For a long time he stood there, face buried in the soft fur of the dog, swaying softly on the spot to comfort himself. The excursion to the gardens today had made his back and legs ache terribly though so he turned and eased himself down to sit in the rocking chair – one of two in the room – and, holding the animal to his chest, slowly started rocking himself. Before he knew what was happening, tears were running freely down his cheeks and sobs echoed softly around the room.

He didn't know how long he sat there, crying for no tangible reason. He was only startled from his grief when he heard Elrond open the living room door. Quickly he wiped his face dry with the sleeve of his robe and steadied his ragged breathing. Having no explanation for sitting alone crying in the dark, he had to at least make the effort to appear sane and normal. Elrond worried about him enough without adding to it.

"Legolas?" Elrond called in concern from the bedroom.

Taking a shaky breath, Legolas called back, "In here."

A second later the half-open door swung open and Elrond appeared with a confused smile on his face. "What are you doing in here?" he asked, coming to stand in front of the prince.

"Just sitting," Legolas answered vaguely.

"Made a new friend?" the Elven lord asked teasingly, tugging on the floppy ear of the stuffed dog Legolas still had clutched to him without even realising.

"What?" he asked but blushed when he realised he was still cuddling the toy. "Oh." He lowered the dog to his lap.

"Are you all right? You look different," Elrond said in a soft voice, crouching down in front of Legolas.

"I'm fine," the prince answered without even thinking and Elrond nodded, even though Legolas could tell he wasn't entirely convinced.

Elrond turned his head to glance around the cosy, although now dark, nursery and a small smile crept across his lips before he turned back to Legolas. "Can you believe that in two months we are going to be fathers? I bet you can't wait."

Ignoring the stab of strange fear and the tears that sprang to his eyes, Legolas forced a smile to his lips and nodded. "Yes. Two months." It was a lame and unenthusiastic response and he knew Elrond noticed as his lover's smile turned to a frown.

Elrond stood up and came to Legolas' side, running his fingers through soft, golden hair. "You're not nervous, are you?" he asked softly. Over the past months, Elrond had been through every detail of the birth with him and Legolas had grown to know the procedure intimately. And although he wasn't particularly looking forward to the painful and exhausting experience he had come to terms with the fact that it must happen in order to get their children. The terror he felt in his heart really had nothing to do with that. Indeed, its source was a complete mystery to him. He knew that even if he wanted to, he couldn't explain it to Elrond.

"No," Legolas finally answered.

Elrond leant forwards and pressed a tender kiss to Legolas' lips, his hand going to the swollen belly. "I love you all so much," he whispered. This passion wasn't the same as the raw desire he had felt for Legolas earlier; this was deep love for his family. Legolas just smiled weakly at him in the darkness. "Are you sure you're all right?" Elrond asked in concern.

Realising that he was losing his battle with self-control, Legolas nodded. "I'm just tired," he said and although it was meant to be a reassurance he was horrified to find that it came out as a sob. He lifted his hand to his eyes as he once again burst into tears.

Immediately, he felt Elrond's arm around his shoulders and the older Elf leaned in closer. "Hey, what's wrong?" Elrond asked kindly, his arms around Legolas.

The prince shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. "Nothing. I'm sorry, nothing's wrong. I'm fine." He looked up to find Elrond looking at him sceptically. "Honestly," he smiled weakly, taking Elrond's hand in his own and squeezing it tightly. "Just ignore me, please," he laughed softly and he was pleased to see Elrond smile slightly at him. "I'll be fine, really."

"You're certain nothing's wrong?"

"No, everything's fine," Legolas said and he really did feel the suffocating feeling of terror leaving his body, leaving him feeling drained. He wiped the fresh tears from his face, suddenly feeling rather foolish in front of the always unflappable lord of Rivendell. "You must think me a child: cuddling children's toys, bursting into tears for no reason."

With a sympathetic smile, Elrond ran his fingers once more over Legolas' pale, damp cheeks. "I don't think you a child. It is understandable that your emotions are all over the place. You're pregnant and you're permitted to be a little unstable." Legolas smiled shakily up at him. "Besides," Elrond said, hugging Legolas, "a good cry never hurt anyone." Elrond's kindness made Legolas' heart ache with love and he placed his head against Elrond's strong chest, feeling Elrond's hand rubbing up and down his arm. After a while, Elrond pulled back a little and asked, "Better?" The blonde Elf nodded sheepishly. "Good. Now, how about we put the doggy to bed and I cheer you up?" he asked suggestively, making Legolas grin at the lord's sense of humour.

A gentle sigh escaped Legolas' lips and he admitted, "I really just want to sleep." What with the long day and his strange turn this evening, he found himself exhausted. Rather strangely, he found no desperate need to be sated by his partner anymore.

"Thank the Valar," Elrond laughed, pressing a kiss into his lover's hair. "Honestly, keeping up with you these past couple of days has been a full-time occupation."

Legolas also laughed, feeling more at ease now. "I didn't realise I was causing you so much trouble."

"Some types of trouble are more welcome than others," the Elven lord grinned. "Come on; let's get you into bed so you can rest." Elrond stood up straight and held out his hands to help Legolas up, which the prince gratefully accepted.

Once he'd heaved himself to his feet, Legolas walked straight into the bedroom. Elrond nearly chuckled at the fact that Legolas had not returned the toy to the crib. He didn't say anything though, not even when, after getting changed into comfortable nightclothes, the prince curled up in bed, hugging the dog to himself. Elrond climbed into bed next to him and extinguished the lamp, throwing the room into pleasant darkness. Legolas shifted to be closer to him, already on the verge of sleep and Elrond held him in his arms, feeling the large stomach pressed against him and the fluffy hound lying between, clasped in Legolas' arms.

**To Be Continued…**

OIOIO


	10. Panic

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created. Promise.**

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****Yes this is an m-preg, as in male pregnancy. I know anatomically it is impossible in the real world but I like the idea (mainly for the Legolas suffering that goes with it). Please, if you are dead set against this kind of thing then don't read then complain that you weren't warned.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 10 ~ Panic**

**OIOI**

Legolas walked slowly through the public gardens, smiling politely at the few people he met along the way. Usually, his walks concentrated more on the house and on Elrond's private gardens but today he felt the need for a change so he had resorted to the busier but equally splendid gardens open to the general public.

Being in his eleventh – and penultimate – month, Legolas found that he couldn't walk as far as he used to. Very often he would have to pause and catch his breath or sit down to relieve the pressure on his aching back and ankles. Mercifully, his morning sickness was still absent and his appetite was stronger than it had ever been. He could hardly believe the size of his abdomen. He was, for lack of a better word, huge. Although this should have horrified him, he instead found himself feeling rather contented. Elrond also seemed to approve of his size and the lord doted on him more than ever, getting him whatever he wanted whenever he wanted it. Unfortunately, he couldn't be with Legolas all the time; the enigmatic negotiations with the Gondorian ambassadors kept him busy for most of the day, hence Legolas' excursions to the gardens by himself.

The day was warm and pleasant and Rivendell was blossoming under the blessed sunshine. Legolas ran his hand over the stretched cloth covering his stomach. As usual during the day, the twins were quiet, saving all their energies until the night when Legolas needed to sleep. Although he was tired, he had almost resigned himself to the exhaustion and thus it tended not to frustrate him quite as much, although it clearly still worried Elrond.

Disturbed in his quiet walk by a brutal kick from one of his babies, Legolas actually winced and placed his hand over the squirming twin inside him. At least only one of them was moving erratically at the moment rather than going for the full on double assault. Another hard kick actually made Legolas stop suddenly in his tracks and he leaned forward slightly with a hiss of pain.

"Must you kick just there where there are no public bathrooms?" he murmured to his unborn child as a hard kick was aimed at his bladder. It was bad enough that he had to get out of bed at least three times a night but now they seemed to be purposefully trying to make him a fool in public. With one of his children in an even less comfortable position than before, Legolas decided it was time to cut his walk short and instead head for the nearest restroom.

Spinning on his heel, Legolas started walking as quickly as his increased weight allowed him back to the house. He had only made it halfway across the garden before an unfamiliar, distinctly un-Elven voice called, "It's Legolas, isn't it?" from behind him.

For a brief moment, Legolas considered ignoring the voice and continuing towards his much-needed destination but then he recalled that Elrond was currently in negotiation with Men of Gondor and if this man knew Legolas' name then surely Elrond himself had told him it, which meant he was high up the political chain. Running in the opposite direction might not have been the sign of Elven-Human unity. Besides, his upbringing in the court of Mirkwood forbade him to be rude to any visiting diplomat.

Putting a smile onto his face to soften what would probably be a shock at the sight of a pregnant male Elf and pushing his own, increasingly pressing need aside, Legolas turned to face the one who called after him.

The man strode towards him, his hand extended and poised for a handshake, which Legolas knew from experience was the usual polite greeting of Men. "Legolas?" the man asked again, a little out of breath.

Legolas shook his hand. "Yes, it is. Forgive me, sir, I don't think I know your name."

"I'm an ambassador from Gondor." The man failed to give his name and Legolas suppressed a frown. "As soon as I saw you from the porch I knew you had to be Legolas. Lord Elrond talks about you constantly."

"Is that so?"

"Indeed. After all his tales of you, I simply had to meet you for myself."

"Well, here I am," Legolas smiled brightly, discreetly starting to shift from foot to foot. He found it rather hard to believe that Elrond had spoken so much of him. The Elven lord was tight-lipped about their relationship in front of people they knew well; he wouldn't disclose anything remotely personal to people he did now know at all, let alone an official diplomat with whom he hoped to do business. More likely, this man had overheard some snatch of gossip from the halls.

"Would you care to join us for some tea? We could discuss these negotiations in further detail. No doubt Lord Elrond has filled you in on all the goings on," the man smiled benignly.

"No, thank you, I have somewhere I need to be," Legolas said gratefully as his mind added in silence '_right now'_.

"Oh. Are you certain I can't tempt you? Come, surely you could spare a few minutes."

Legolas nearly shouted in frustration as the man positioned himself between the Elf and the house in an attempt to dissuade him from leaving. Resisting the urge to shove the man aside and run to the nearest tree to relieve his now almost painful bladder, Legolas forced a tense smile onto his face. Why did the baby insist on lying in that exact position right now?

"I really would love to but…"

"Come now," the man urged, taking Legolas' arm and leading him towards the patio where his companions were waiting, watching the exchange. "Just sit with us for half an hour or so. I'm sure Lord Elrond can spare you for that long."

Of one thing, Legolas was certain: no way could he last half an hour.

Rather more forcefully than was necessary, Legolas pulled his arm free and stopped walking in the wrong direction.

"Honestly, sir, I have to return to the house at the moment. Perhaps another time." The man looked disappointed and Legolas wasn't really surprised. He was in no doubt that the man had no real desire to get personally acquainted with him. If he knew of the Elf then he also knew that he and Elrond were close. Having spent years negotiating with desperate people, the canny prince of Mirkwood knew when he was being played, which was exactly what was happening now and he certainly didn't like it.

The man seemed to sense that he wasn't going to get the Elf on his side that afternoon and mercifully relented. A bright smile crossed his face and he said, "Perhaps you will be at the dinner tonight with Lord Elrond?"

Fidgeting uncomfortably again, Legolas nodded, too distracted to really pay attention. "Yes, perhaps. Now, if you'll excuse me."

"Wait," the man exclaimed before Legolas could leave. "Will you mention this meeting to Lord Elrond?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes, I'll mention it," Legolas said quickly. Before the man could speak again, the restless child inside him placed another hard kick, causing Legolas to bend forward and hiss in discomfort.

"Are you well?" the man asked urgently, taking Legolas' arm again as if to steady him.

Wincing and with nearly agonising difficulty, Legolas stood up straight again and smiled. "Yes, thank you. If you'll excuse me, I really do have to get back now."

"Are you sure? Shall I find Lord Elrond or a healer?"

"No," Legolas answered, already backing away. "Please do not trouble yourself. I am fine."

"Perhaps you should lie down; you looked a little flushed."

'So would you if you had two squirming lives resting on your full bladder,' Legolas snapped irritably in his head but he smiled and said out loud, "Yes, perhaps you're right."

"Take it easy and I'll see you tonight."

Legolas hastily turned and strode away, calling over his shoulder, "Yes. Tonight." Although he was finally free of the man, he knew he couldn't rush away – despite desperately wanting to – as that would be rude and his upbringing would never allow for that. When he neared the house, Legolas threw a glance over his shoulder to check that the man was gone and was relieved to see he had re-joined his party on the patio. Breaking into a halting run, he rushed up the steps and into the entrance hall. He knew he wouldn't make it back to his own chambers so he ran down the corridors, frantically searching for the nearest public restroom.

"Prince Legolas," a familiar voice called and he found himself face to face with a smiling Erestor. "Ah, Lord Elrond has been looking for you. He was going to ask you if…"

"Not now, Erestor," Legolas told him and continued walking hastily along the hall.

"Is something wrong, sir?" the advisor asked in concern and he picked up his pace to catch Legolas.

"No," Legolas said simply as he threw open a bathroom door and slammed it closed in Erestor's face.

"Oh," the advisor said softly, smiling to a startled Elf maiden who passed by.

The moment the door slammed closed, Legolas struggled to unbutton his trousers – specially made because of his girth – cursing in his own tongue as his fingers in their haste fumbled. "Come on," he shouted at himself in frustration.

For all his rushed efforts though, he was still too slow and the cruel baby inside him gave a strong kick directly to his bladder. He didn't even have time to undo the final button before his clothes became soaked through.

He all but fell back against the wall with a hiss of pain at the kick, followed by a cry of horror. Slowly – and carefully due to his aching back – he slid down the wall until he was sat on the ground. His previously calm demeanour crumbled and a sob choked in his throat. For a moment he sat on the cold stone floor and cried in despair. The day that had started out so well had descended into his worst nightmare, to be reduced to an Elfling.

After a while, there was a gentle knock from the door, making him look up sharply. He had obviously been in here longer than he had thought.

"Are you all right in there, Legolas?"

Looking down at himself, Legolas answered, "Not really."

There was a long silence as Erestor clearly deliberated what to do next. Then a tentative voice asked, "May I come in?"

Shifting to hide the worst of his stained trousers, suddenly glad for the length of his shirt, the prince called out, "Yes."

The door opened slightly as Erestor peered inside then the advisor stepped fully into the small room. His shrewd eyes immediately found Legolas sitting wretchedly on the ground. "Sir, is everything…" He then realised what had happened and Legolas found himself blushing under his scrutiny. "Legolas…"

"Can you please find Lord Elrond and ask him to bring me some clean clothes?" the prince asked as steadily as he could. He needed Elrond. Elrond would not stare at him with judgemental eyes.

"Of course, sir," Erestor said, averting his eyes then turning to leave. "I won't be a minute."

Legolas heard Erestor giving instructions to a servant outside, once he had closed the door behind him, to remain in the hall and make sure no one entered, for which Legolas was grateful. He didn't want anyone stumbling upon him in his present state. It was bad enough that Erestor had seen him in such a vulnerable state.

It seemed that Erestor had wasted no time in finding his lord and informing him of what had occurred as only a few minutes later there was a tap on the door and Elrond stepped inside, shadowed by his advisor.

Elrond wasted no time in striding forward and Legolas held out his hands and pulled Elrond down. The moment Elrond's arms wrapped around him, the dam broke and Legolas found himself crying into his love's tunic. Gentle fingers worked through his hair and Elrond held him close as he sobbed.

"Shh, it's all right. I'm right here," Elrond soothed, rubbing his back.

Once his cries had died down, Legolas pulled away a little, wiping his tear-stained face with his sleeve. "I'm sorry," Legolas sniffed, not meeting Elrond's eyes as he confessed, "I didn't make it."

"It's all right, melleth nin. We'll get you cleaned up and changed," Elrond said kindly, rising elegantly to his feet. "Thank you, Erestor, you can go now," the Elven Lord commanded.

Without hesitation, Erestor handed over the clean clothes he had been carrying and went to leave.

"Thank you," Legolas offered weakly to the advisor, who merely nodded slightly before leaving.

Elrond's outstretched hands appeared in front of him and Legolas took them so Elrond could help him to his feet. It was nowhere near as graceful as Elrond's movement but at least he was up off the floor. Without hesitation, Elrond went to pull him into a hug but Legolas put his hands up to keep a gap between them.

"My clothes…" he muttered in embarrassment, referring to his wet trousers.

Elrond just smiled kindly. "Come here." He pulled Legolas into a hug and held him tightly. After a moment, Legolas laid his head on the lord's strong soldier and closed his eyes. Elrond's voice drifted gently over him and he relaxed even more at the assurance, "It doesn't matter, my love."

"They caught me off guard," he groaned into Elrond's tunic.

The older Elf pulled back and pulled long, blonde hair from where it hung loosely over Legolas' pale face. "I know. It's all right." He placed a tender kiss on compliant lips and smiled. "It's all right now. Get yourself changed and then I want you to return to our rooms and rest for a while." The prince nodded and started peeling off his damp clothes. He quickly dragged on a clean pair of trousers but before he could replace his shirt, Elrond's hands were on his exposed stomach, feeling the babies. He crouched down to speak to the swelling. "That wasn't a very nice thing you just did to your ada," he chastised lightly and he felt a gentle kick against the palm of his hand almost in response. This actually drew a short laugh from Legolas' lips and Elrond looked up at him with twinkling eyes. "They're feisty today."

"You have no idea," Legolas sighed. Elrond stood back up and Legolas pulled on his clean shirt before gathering up his dirty clothes.

"Let me take those for you," Elrond offered, taking the wet clothes from the prince as he led him out of the door. Although Legolas had the sneaking suspicion that everyone was looking at him as they walked down the halls back to Elrond's rooms, the Elven lord seemed unfazed, even as he shoved the dirtied clothes into a maid's arms.

By the time they neared their rooms, Legolas' back and feet were aching again.

To Elrond's surprise though, when they reached the door to their rooms, Legolas rushed past him, flinging the door open, although he paused when Elrond shot him a confused look. "What are you doing?" the Elven lord asked as he followed the dashing Legolas inside.

The prince paused, squirming, with his hand poised on the bathroom door. "They really hate me today."

Elrond chuckled and said, "Don't let me stop you."

Legolas retreated into the bathroom and Elrond strolled to his desk and picked up the papers he had been reading when Erestor had burst in on him with the message that Legolas needed him.

A moment later, the golden Elf returned and leant against the wall. The lord of Imladris came over to him and pulled him into a hug, into which the young Elf leaned gratefully. "Why don't you lie down for an hour or so? You look tired," Elrond said gently.

"I think I might take a bath first." They pulled apart and Legolas set the warm water running. As he undid his second shirt of the day, Legolas called, "By the way, I met one of your human negotiators today."

"Oh?"

"Yes, he tried to play me…and you."

Immediately, Elrond appeared in the bathroom doorway, concern – and anger – plain on his face. "Who? What did he say?" he demanded to know.

"He didn't give his name," Legolas answered nonchalantly, trying to remember just what the persistent human had said although he had some difficulty as his mind had been otherwise preoccupied at the time. "He was attempting to engage me in a little flattery over afternoon tea. No doubt to tempt me to speak well of him in front of you; to get himself in your good graces via me."

"That scheming little…" the Elven lord seethed.

Before he could reel off a long stream of profanities, Legolas' calming hands were placed on his tense shoulders, a serene smile on his face. "Do not be concerned, I have dealt with his like before and I know when I'm being taken advantage of."

"No, this is not all right. I won't have them using you to get to me."

"Then you'll be disappointed to know that I agreed to attend your dinner tonight."

"No, Legolas, you have to rest," Elrond immediately protested.

"Sitting at a table listening to mindless political talk may be boring but I am almost certain it will not prove over-taxing," the prince smiled.

"All right. Fine. But I want you to sleep for a while this afternoon. Running around the halls in your condition is not recommended and as your healer I am ordering you to rest."

"Ordering?" Legolas asked, moving seductively closer to his love and Elrond chuckled softly.

"Very well – requesting." Elrond wrapped his arms around the prince and pulled him against himself. "Please relax, my love. I worry so much that you tire yourself."

"I am already relaxed," Legolas breathed, moving closer to the dark-haired Elf's lips.

Before their passions ran away with them, Elrond cleared his throat and reminded, "Don't forget your bath." Legolas grinned and reached over to turn off the water. His eyes flicked to Elrond then back to the soothing water.

"Join me."

"Legolas, what you have in mind is not relaxation."

"Of course it is. What is strenuous about having a bath?" Elrond opened his mouth to answer but a mischievous glint lit his eyes and he asked, "What is it you were thinking of? I really meant for you to join me in the water, nothing more."

There was no other on all of Arda who could summon a blush onto the lord of Rivendell's cheeks than Legolas of Mirkwood. "In that case, I would be happy to join you." Elrond closed the bathroom door and quickly helped the golden Elf out of his robes before undressing himself then joining him in the bathtub. For a long while they stayed in the warm water together until the prince's concentration started to lag and a huge yawn finally escaped him.

"I think perhaps it's time you went to bed, melleth nin," Elrond smiled gently, tucking blonde hair behind a gently pointed ear. Legolas could only agree and let Elrond help him up out of the bath and into his robes again. The Elven lord led him to the bed and he carefully laid down on top of the blankets. Elrond sat at the end of the bed and leant over him, tenderly kissing his exposed neck and working downwards until he reached the swollen stomach where he paused and rested his cheek against it, needing to be close to his children. Legolas laughed softly and ran his fingers over dark hair.

"Are you happy here?" Elrond asked quietly, his eyes looking down dotingly to the prince.

Legolas frowned slightly at the strange and unexpected question. "Why ask that now?" he replied.

"I don't know. It's just that sometimes you don't seem entirely…contented."

Legolas chuckled softly, his fingers idly working through Elrond's sleek hair. Making light of the troubling observation, Legolas said, "You try carrying two increasingly large lives inside you all the time."

Suddenly, Elrond sat upright as if he needed to have proper contact with his love. "You know that's not what I meant."

"Elrond…" Legolas sighed, his hand rubbing his tired eyes. He didn't want to answer the question, not when he was feeling so vulnerable, but Elrond was persistent.

"I didn't want to upset you. I just…I need to know that you're happy in Rivendell. I know that you have never thought of Imladris as your true home but I still want you to be happy here. I can't stand the thought of you being miserable."

Legolas reached out and took Elrond's hand, squeezing it tight in reassurance. "I am not miserable here, Elrond. I could never be so with you at my side." He lowered his eyes from Elrond's gently smiling face. "But I will not deny that I miss Mirkwood at times. All the time actually. I miss the forests and my friends… And despite everything, I miss my father. I know I shouldn't. By all rights I should hate him for what…But…" He shook his head hopelessly, at a loss to explain himself. "I just wish he cared enough to…" He cut himself off as his voice cracked. He wouldn't fall apart over his father again.

"Did you not send your letter?" Elrond asked once the prince had regained a little of his composure, remembering that months ago Legolas had wanted to reassure the king of Mirkwood that he was safe and further explain his condition."

The prince offered him a small, shaky smile. "I wrote it but I never found the courage to actually send it. Cowardly, I know but…"

"Legolas, you may be a lot of things but you will never be a coward. Please don't think so ill of yourself."

"I am happy with you, Elrond. That is all I need," the blonde Elf smiled faintly.

"As long as you're sure." Legolas nodded, relaxing a little now that the inquisition appeared to be over. "But I want you to let me know if there's anything I can do to make you more comfortable. I want you to feel at home here and not feel like a guest."

"Actually, there is one thing," Legolas added sleepily with a small, lopsided smile.

The older Elf grinned and sat back. "Oh? And what is that, my prince?"

With his eyes now closed, Legolas said softly, "My ankles do hurt."

"Really?" Elrond drawled, knowing fully well what the pregnant Elf was hinting at. "Then it is lucky that you have a skilled healer at your disposal," he smiled, picking up the spare pillow, lifting Legolas' feet and placing them carefully on top of the soft pillow. Legolas shifted down the bed slightly to get more comfortable and let out a comfortable sigh as Elrond pushed his trousers up a little. A moment later, the prince felt warm, deft hands on his aching ankles, skilfully massaging. Soon, he felt the aching beginning to fade and he silently thanked the Valar for Elrond's confident healing hands. As Elrond gently rubbed his feet, Legolas found himself drifting blissfully in half sleep, the pain and embarrassment of the day fading away as he focused solely on the now.

He suddenly felt a warm kiss being pressed to his cheek and Elrond whispered in his ear, "Go to sleep, melleth nin." He didn't argue as Elrond's soft hands started working on his sore feet and he found himself drifting off into a peaceful rest.

When he saw that Legolas was sound asleep, Elrond stopped his massaging and said with a small, satisfied smile, "Sleep well, my love." Carefully, he draped a blanket over the sleeping form and climbed off the bed to return once more to his papers.

The prince woke later with a low groan. He wanted to sleep but it seemed that his children did not share the same sentiment. He was laid rather uncomfortably on his side with a warm blanket wrapped around himself. The room was no longer flooded with sunlight although a glance over at the window told him that it was still late afternoon; he had only slept for a couple of hours. Feeling rather disappointed that he hadn't also passed the evening away in bed; Legolas dragged himself to his feet and into the bathroom.

Although he was tempted to crawl back beneath the sheets and fall into a deep slumber he remembered that he was due to attend dinner tonight. Searching through the closet, he pulled out his finest formal robes and quickly got changed. Pretty soon he looked every bit the proud, elegant prince of Mirkwood. His hair hung loose around his shoulders and down his back, shimmering gloriously in the evening light – an enchanting sight. By the time Elrond stepped into the bedroom he was sat on the bed waiting patiently with his hand resting on his swollen stomach.

"You're already up," Elrond said in surprise.

"So it would seem," Legolas smiled weakly up at him.

With a frown, Elrond stepped forwards. "Are you all right?" he asked, perching on the edge of the bed. Legolas didn't look at all rested despite his sleep and looked strangely on edge.

"I'm fine," Legolas smiled at him but it didn't meet his eyes.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Not too bad."

An uncomfortable silence reigned for a moment. "You're all dressed up. You still intend to go to this dinner?"

"I said I would," Legolas almost snapped but then, upon Elrond's hurt and confused look, he shook his head as if to clear his mind. "I'm sorry, Elrond. I didn't mean to…It's just the babies woke me up and I'm…I don't know, grouchy," he said haltingly, wishing it was true. The real reason for his distraction was that terrible fear in the pit of his stomach was back and this time he couldn't seem to get rid of it. "I'm sorry."

Even though he was still concerned about his partner, Elrond smiled, "Well, I suppose you have the right to be 'grouchy' when you wake, especially with those two fidgets," he said, laying his hand against Legolas' stomach. The prince actually flinched upon his lover's touch and the Elven lord asked, "Are you in pain?"

"No."

"Legolas? Are you sure you're all right?"

With a heavy sigh, Legolas answered, "I'm fine. Really. Just…I don't know. I'm all right."

"Look, you don't have to sit through this dinner tonight. I'll make your excuses while you get some more rest."

Legolas sat up straight and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. "I'll be fine. Let's get going. We don't want to be late." Before Elrond could protest, he smiled, "Besides, I'm starving." The prince strode to the door and opened it, waiting for Elrond, who soon followed him.

As soon as Legolas took his seat after all the political preamble he knew it was going to be a long night. He was seated beside the man he had met earlier in the day in the gardens, whilst Elrond sat on his other side at the head of the table. The Elven lord was already engaged in conversation with the man and Legolas noticed the lord was flanked by his advisors, suggesting that for Elrond this was not a pleasant dinner but rather a working one.

A servant leaned forward to pour wine into his glass but Legolas placed his hand over it to stop him. "No, thank you."

"Bring Legolas some orange juice please," Elrond commanded, saving Legolas the trouble, and the servant did so. Soon dinner was being served and the chatter at the grand table died down a little. Whilst everyone else eagerly tucked in, Legolas just picked at his food, shifting it disinterestedly around his plate. The panic in his chest still hadn't subsided and it was making it hard to concentrate on anything else.

After a moment, Elrond discreetly leaned over him and said softly, "Legolas, are you all right? You've been really quiet all evening."

"I'm fine," Legolas assured wearily.

"I thought you said you were starving; you should eat something."

"I'm not that hungry, actually," Legolas said, the thought of eating the rich food turning his stomach.

"Are you sure? I can get the chef to prepare you something else if you'd prefer. Anything you want. Please, Legolas, you haven't eaten anything all afternoon."

Legolas smiled softly, wanting more than anything to please his love. "Maybe some honey bread then."

Elrond grinned at him, recognising the sweet treat as Legolas' favourite dessert. "Honey bread it is." He quickly summoned the nearest server, who came forward with a short bow. "Please bring Legolas some honey bread from the kitchens and some fresh water."

"Right away, sir."

Elrond smiled at his love as the waiter rushed off to get his lord's order and the prince tried desperately to return the gesture. He wished now that he had never agreed to attend this dinner. Even his sharp political mind couldn't pick up the threads of conversation as he tried to quell his tiredness and nausea. Watching the Men with their less than perfect table manners did nothing to ease his discomfort so his eyes flicked over to find Glorfindel and Erestor standing behind Elrond's chair, discreetly but studiously noting everything that was being said. The seneschal caught Legolas' eyes on him and shot him a quick smile.

Startled from the calming blue gaze when a plate of sticky honey bread appeared before him, Legolas suddenly wished he hadn't asked for anything. "Thank you," he managed to say politely to the server as he stepped back. Usually, he enjoyed the cake but now there mere thought of eating the sickly food turned his sensitive stomach even more than before. Knowing Elrond's concerned eyes were on him though, Legolas picked up the food and took a small bite and swallowed it down thickly.

He could almost feel his face paling further and he quickly replaced the slice of cake onto his plate. Suddenly, he felt that familiar wave of intense nausea wash over him and, fearing the worst would happen, he abruptly stood up from his chair as quickly as his now spinning head would safely allow. Gripping the edge of the table tightly and trying to calm his trembling, Legolas said, "Excuse me," as politely as he could to the gathered Elves and Humans.

"Are you all right, melleth nin?" Elrond inquired softly, obviously noticing the prince's state.

"Fine. I just need to…Excuse me," Legolas attempted to haltingly explain, standing up straight and going to walk away but he had barely gotten two steps away from his chair before he stumbled. Elrond immediately shot up from his chair and took Legolas' arm to steady him. "I'm all right," Legolas told him, regaining his precarious balance.

"You're not all right," Elrond told him in concern; for the moment not caring about his guests.

Legolas shook his head softly as if to clear away the dizziness and cleared his throat in an attempt to remain dignified as his legs started to feel too weak to hold himself up. "I just need to…I don't feel…" Before he could continue, he felt his legs collapse underneath him and then Elrond's hands shooting out to catch him, gently easing him to the floor so he didn't harm himself or the children. Much to his mortification, his stomach flipped and he leaned forward, vomiting harshly onto the floor. Before he could even mutter an apology, darkness crept from the edges of his blurred vision, pulling him into terrifying oblivion.

When Legolas slumped forwards, Elrond's hands tightened and pulled the prince against himself, shaking him gently. "Legolas!" he cried, noticing both Glorfindel and Erestor now standing next to him, both shielding the prince from the curious eyes of the diplomats as well as offering their assistance. "Help me get him to the healing halls," Elrond told Glorfindel, trying his very best to swallow down his rising panic. "Erestor, take care of this. I'll be in my office as soon as I can," the Elven lord said dismissively, not really caring too much about the diplomats around his table. All his attention was now on Legolas.

It wasn't ten minutes after being laid on the healing hall bed, Legolas' eyes fluttered open. For a moment, he remained still, trying to make sense of what had happened. When his memory came back to him, he shot up in bed with a gasp of surprise. A strong, reassuring hand was instantly on his shoulder.

"Shh, you're all right," Elrond smiled at him gently. "Lay back down." He helped Legolas lay back carefully and the prince was secretly grateful as his back was already aching.

"Elrond? What happened?"

"You fainted, melleth nin. Do you not remember? You're in the healing halls," Elrond explained patiently.

"Oh." Legolas' slightly trembling hand came to his eyes in confusion but then he recalled what had happened in the dining hall earlier and he turned his head to see Elrond better, a stricken look on his face. "Oh, Elrond, I'm so sorry," he said genuinely.

"For what?"

Legolas attempted to sit up again but Elrond's hand restrained him. "Your…guests."

"It's all right," Elrond dismissed with a shake of his head.

"No, Elrond. The dinner…was important and I…"

"Legolas," Elrond said firmly, leaning forward slightly in his seat at the bedside. "I don't care about the dinner or the delegates. I'm only worried about you. As long as you're all right; that's all that matters," he told the prince and Legolas nodded, offering him a shaky but grateful smile. "Now, I want you to lie here and rest for a while. I have to go to my office for a while but I'll be back as soon as I can and I'm leaving a healer here with you."

"There is no need. I'm feeling much better now," Legolas weakly protested.

"You're having a healer with you – no arguments," the Elven lord stated.

"But…"

"Listen, you may feel better right now but you just passed out and that doesn't happen for no reason and until I am one hundred percent certain that you're well, I'm not taking any chances," Elrond told him this time leaving no room for argument.

"All right," he sighed, seeing the wisdom in his love's words.

"Good. Now try and get some rest. I'll be back as soon as I can," Elrond said more softly, standing and leaning over to kiss Legolas' forehead. The prince gave a small nod and obediently closed his eyes to sleep. A feeling of deep exhaustion took his body and he gladly relaxed into sleep. Elrond waited until his love was asleep before slipping out of the room, leaving instructions with a trusted healer to look after the prince.

When Legolas woke next, the room was dark with only a single, dim lamp burning near the door. Slowly, the pregnant Elf sat up in bed, surprised to find himself alone in the room. He had expected Elrond to be at his side or at least a healer to be hovering near but the room was strangely still, silent and rather cold.

Despite feeling physically better than he had done earlier, Legolas couldn't shake off that cold, nagging terror that still clung to him. When he focused on this inexplicable fear, though it just increased so much that it very nearly swamped him. Pushing this feeling down with almost painful effort, Legolas closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on the cause. Slowly, he managed to calm his nerves enough to focus on the problem.

With calm he didn't know he possessed, he placed trembling hands against his stomach and held them in place for a minute. Suddenly, he understood what had eluded him all day and his eyes snapped open. "No," he whispered to the empty room, tears blurring the already dimmed room. "Elrond," he whimpered but when Elrond didn't magically appear before him, the prince leapt out of bed and ran as fast as he could from the room. He didn't even notice that at some point he had been changed from his formal evening wear into loose nightclothes.

As he yanked the door open, Legolas ran straight into a surprised healer, presumably the one Elrond had assigned to care for him in his absence. "My lord?" the healer asked in concern as Legolas roughly brushed past him.

"Where's Elrond?" Legolas demanded as he walked away.

"Uh, in his study but…"

Before he could even finish, Legolas had already gone, running as fast as his weight and rising panic would allow. After what seemed like an eternity of sprinting through impossibly long corridors, Legolas finally reached the door to Elrond's study. Without hesitation, he threw the door open, his eyes instantly going to Elrond, who was sat behind his desk. He had clearly been in deep thought but intense concentration gave way to shock when his door slammed open to reveal a frantic-looking prince.

"Elrond, help. I can't feel them," Legolas cried without hesitation.

Slowly, the Imladrian lord stood up from his chair, a frown on his face. "Legolas?"

"Please, Elrond, help. I can't…I don't know what's…"

"Legolas, calm down," Elrond said as he walked around his desk.

"I can't feel them anymore. You have to do something now," the blonde Elf cried, now perilously close to hysterical as his forced calm finally snapped.

"Gentlemen, you'll have to excuse me," Elrond told the gathered human delegates, who Legolas hadn't even noticed sitting around the room, startled looks on their faces at his unexpected intrusion. The prince couldn't concern himself with them though; his children were all that mattered. It seemed that Elrond shared this sentiment as he strode across the room and took Legolas' arm and led him out into the corridor so they could speak privately. "All right, now tell me what's wrong?" Elrond said calmly as he pulled the door closed. "Slowly."

Taking a deep breath, Legolas said, "The babies, I can't feel them. I haven't felt them moving all afternoon."

A flicker of panic lit Elrond's eyes before the sensible healer in him took over. "All right. All right, let's just get you back to the healing halls and I'll take a look." Without waiting for Legolas to answer Elrond pulled him towards the healing wing.

When they reached the healing room Legolas had just run from, Elrond went straight over to his supplies whilst Legolas stood uncertainly, his arms wrapped around his stomach as if embracing his ailing unborn children. His voice cracking, he explained, "I can't feel them moving. I know something's wrong. I can always feel them moving but now I can't. Please, Elrond, don't let anything happen to them. Please."

Sensing Legolas' panic rising to unhealthy levels again, Elrond stepped over to him, putting strong hands on his shoulders. "All right, sit down on the bed and take some deep breaths. Panicking isn't helping the babies." Legolas slowly obeyed but tears fell steadily from his eyes and he trembled slightly.

"I can't lose them," the blonde whispered, almost to himself.

"We won't," Elrond assured, pressing a quick kiss to Legolas' lips. "Lie down so I can examine you." Legolas compliantly laid back and Elrond lifted the light nightshirt and placed steady confident hands on the swollen stomach. For a while he poked and prodded, going through the motions of any competent healer but then he laid his hands flat on the taut skin and closed his eyes, concentrating hard.

Legolas could hardly breathe through fear of disturbing Elrond's concentration. Minutes seemed to stretch on for hours, the air tense until Legolas thought he wouldn't be able to stand it any longer. However, before his nerve could snap completely, a relieved smile spread across Elrond's face and Legolas could feel him relax.

"What? Are they all right?" Legolas asked abruptly when his love didn't speak.

Elrond removed his hands and sat down on the bed, taking Legolas' hand. "They're fine, melleth nin. Feel." He moved Legolas' trembling hand to his own stomach and almost immediately the prince felt a subtle fluttering beneath his palm. Suddenly overwhelmed with relief, Legolas burst into tears, physically unable to stop himself. "I felt two strong heartbeats," Elrond said softly, not fazed by his love's tears.

"Are you sure?" Legolas asked weakly through his tears.

"Absolutely positive. Everything's fine," Elrond told him calmly, wiping tears from the prince's pale face.

Legolas could do nothing but whisper, "Thank you."

"I didn't do anything but you're welcome all the same," Elrond said with a small smile, bending down to kiss Legolas again. The prince had managed to cease his tears but he was obviously still shaky. "Are you all right?"

The younger Elf nodded, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. A small smile graced his lips and he met Elrond's eyes. "I'm sorry I got so frantic."

"You don't have to apologise. It's a parent's prerogative to panic every now and then."

"Even so…I shouldn't have worried you…"

"Hey, if you're worried then I want to be worried too. It is always best to err on the side of caution if you're ever in doubt."

Legolas looked down at the sheets and admitted, "I was so scared."

"I know but it's over now. Everyone's fine," Elrond said gently, placing his hand against Legolas' still damp cheek. "Everything's all right now." Legolas nodded slowly. "Now I want you to get some rest. It has been a long day and you've had quite a scare."

"Will…will you stay with me? I don't want to be alone," Legolas asked hesitantly, almost as if he was afraid. Elrond was going to laugh at him or refuse.

"Of course I will," the Elven lord said kindly. "There is no reason for you to remain in the healing halls tonight so why don't you return to our rooms whilst I go and dismiss the diplomats and advisors then I'll stay with you for as long as you like."

In confusion, Legolas asked, "Diplomats?" Then a vague image of startled and annoyed humans dressed in their best dinner clothes, sitting around Elrond's office popped hazily into his mind. Sitting up and running his hands down his face, Legolas said regretfully, "I disturbed you again?" Elrond just smiled quietly. "Elrond, I am so sorry."

"It's all right," the lord assured.

"No, it's not all right. You don't have to stay with me. Get back to your meeting. I'll be fine," Legolas said quickly, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed.

"No, I'll join you in a few minutes. You shouldn't be alone tonight," he kindly told the prince.

Although he felt a little bad for disturbing what he knew to be already delicate negotiations, Legolas couldn't help but be immensely grateful for Elrond's thoughtfulness. He knew he would feel better with his love – and this great healer – beside him.

"All right. Thank you," Legolas said softly, leaning into a hug.

"Go and lie down now and I'll join you soon."

Both stood, left the healing halls then parted ways. Elrond went off to appease his fussy guests and hand out instructions to his own advisors whilst Legolas went back to their joint rooms, pleased to find the maids had lit the lamps and fires, making the room comfortable and warm. Legolas quickly washed his tear-stained face and changed into more suitably night wear before climbing into the soft bed.

It wasn't long before Elrond returned and changed into his own nightclothes. He got into bed and immediately pulled a willing Legolas close. "Are you all right?" he asked softly.

"Yes," Legolas nodded, "we're fine."

"Good. Now rest."

The prince nodded and closed his eyes, relaxing back against his love, whose arms were wrapped firmly around him. Sleep did not come easily for him though, although this time it was his mind that kept him up rather than his children, who were still. A couple of hours of restless sleep later, Legolas sighed deeply.

"Are you awake?" a voice whispered in Legolas' ear and he smiled gently in the darkness.

"You know I'm not," the prince laughed softly.

A kiss was pressed into the back of Legolas' neck before his love said, "You should be though."

"I can't seem to…" Legolas trailed off. He felt tired but he just couldn't switch off his over-active mind.

"Me neither," Elrond admitted, his hand stroking up and down Legolas' arm. "Well there is no point in us both lying here awake doing nothing. Shall I make us some tea?" he asked, sitting up and quickly lighting the bedside lamp.

"Maybe just some ginger tea," Legolas suggested, hauling himself up to lay against the mound of pillows.

"Do you still feel queasy?" Elrond asked as he pulled on a dressing gown.

"A little."

"One ginger tea coming up," Elrond smiled and left their rooms to quickly brew the tea. When he returned five minutes later, Legolas was flipping through the book Elrond had been reading for the past few nights although he clearly wasn't concentrating on the words. "Here, ginger tea," the healer stated, holding out the mug for Legolas.

"Thank you," the prince said gratefully, taking the drink and cautiously sipping at the steaming tea. Elrond, meanwhile, settled on the bed, sipping his own drink. As the night crawled on, the pair spoke only of light-hearted things and planned their future with their children. Dawn found them in each other's arms, resting peacefully once more.

**To Be Continued…**


	11. Feeling The Strain

Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own anything Tolkien created. Nope, not a thing.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****Yes this is an m-preg, as in male pregnancy. I know anatomically it is impossible in the real world but I like the idea (mainly for the Legolas suffering that goes with it). Please, if you are dead set against this kind of thing then don't read then complain that you weren't warned.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 11 ~ Feeling The Strain**

**OIOI**

One week later found Legolas and Elrond sitting together under their favourite tree by the river. The prince was laid on a soft blanket, his head pillowed on Elrond's lap, his eyes closed as he basked in the sunlight. Happy to let his love rest, Elrond was reclined back against the great trunk, reading through a handful of reports Erestor had shoved in his hands that morning.

Legolas' hands were folded neatly over his stomach where he could feel his children fluttering inside him. Although his tired mind wanted to drift off into restless sleep his body wouldn't allow it. Whenever he started to drift off, something would disturb him and eventually he grew too restless and he opened his eyes with a sigh.

Elrond looked down at him when he realised the prince was looking up at him. "Couldn't sleep?" the Elven lord asked, lowering his papers to look into tired blue eyes.

"Too many distractions," Legolas confessed.

With a concerned frown, Elrond asked, "Shall we go inside so you can rest better?"

"No, I like it out here," Legolas answered with a reassuring smile. He liked being outdoors, especially when he was with Elrond. In Legolas' opinion, they didn't spend enough time together as it was; the Elven lord was either busy in negotiations or attending to the general running of Imladris. Glorfindel tried to make sure he was finished at a reasonable hour at night but he was usually still late back to their rooms and he had very few entirely free days.

"Are you certain?" Elrond asked, his fingers working soothingly through blonde hair. The prince nodded and closed his eyes again, trying to relax. Elrond settled back, placing his papers down for the time being and focusing his attention on Legolas instead.

For a while they sat that way, enjoying each other's company even in silence. Eventually, Legolas pulled himself up into a sitting position.

"Maybe we should go in. I'm getting hungry."

Laughing softly, Elrond gathered up his papers and stood up, holding out his free hand to help his love up. "We can have lunch together in our rooms. How does that sound?"

Legolas brushed down his clothes and pulled the Elven lord close, pressing his lips to Elrond's. Although surprised, Elrond melted into the embrace. When they broke apart again, he couldn't resist a grin. Still in charge of this situation, Legolas took Elrond's hand and led him towards the house. The Elven lord, usually always the more dominant, followed compliantly.

Ten minutes later they entered their rooms and, already shedding their clothing, headed straight for the bed. Fumbling rather clumsily with his robes as Elrond pressed close to him, Legolas followed the lord's guidance this time and fell back onto the bed, locked in a passionate kiss.

"Ow," he suddenly exclaimed with a hiss of pain.

Immediately, Elrond's passion-dulled mind cleared. "Legolas, are you all right?" he asked in alarm.

The prince nodded, although he still looked to be in pain. "I'm all right. Just help me up."

As Elrond took Legolas' hands to help him sit up straight, he realised what must have happened. How could he have been so stupid? He knew the extra weight caused difficulties, especially with his already strained back, and he had just let the prince fall back awkwardly and it had obviously hurt.

"I'm so sorry, melleth nin. I forgot…"

"It's all right," Legolas smiled although it still seemed a little strained and his hand went to his obviously aching lower back. "I'm fine, really."

"Honestly?" Elrond smiled slyly and the prince genuinely smiled back, his arms going around Elrond's waist. With more caution than before, he leaned back, pulling Elrond down with him. The Elven lord was careful not to fall or put any weight on the huge bump beneath him. Legolas laughed when the older Elf used his arms to brace himself and his own flat, taut stomach still pressed against his own. Elrond himself smiled but leant down to kiss the prince's exposed flesh. Groaning softly under the loving attention, Legolas' deft fingers made short work of the lord's robes and soon they were both naked on the bed. Elrond's touches were gentle, soothing away the aches with gentle, unshakable love.

**OIOI**

Just fifteen minutes later, Legolas was lying alone on the bed; his blue eyes watching Elrond drag his robes back on. Tense silence filled the room and the prince longed to break it but he found that he couldn't work up the courage to speak. Once Elrond had dressed and straightened out his clothes, he sat down on the edge of the bed and took a deep breath.

Before he could speak though, Legolas' hurried voice came. "I'm so sorry, Elrond. I don't know what happened." He did know what happened actually; his treacherous body had betrayed him again, suddenly and inexplicably dampening his passion before it could even peak. Embarrassment flowed through him as their love-making had been cut short.

With understanding eyes, Elrond said, "It's all right, melleth."

Tears slipped down Legolas' flushed cheeks and he shook his head. "It's not all right. I don't…It's not you. I…"

Suddenly, Elrond's lips were pressed against his then a steady hand was laid on his tear-stained cheek. "Shh, now. It doesn't matter." When a shuddering breath escaped the prince, Elrond laid down next to him and pulled him into his arms. He wasn't annoyed or even frustrated, more worried. "Shh, it's all right."

The younger Elf pulled himself together as best he could and looked blearily into Elrond's kind eyes. "I'm sorry, Elrond. Valar, look at me! One little thing and I turn into a complete wreck." Elrond just held him tighter.

"Shh. How about we forget all about this and I bring us something to eat? Are you still hungry?"

The prince nodded gently but added, "Nauseous too."

"I'll bring you some ginger tea as well," Elrond told him, releasing Legolas and climbing off the bed. "Get dressed and I'll be back in a moment."

Legolas lay still for a while, recovering himself, before dressing in his clothes, which had been scattered all around the room. He then went into the bathroom and tidied himself up, at least attempting to look presentable for when Elrond returned.

Only a few minutes later Elrond came back and they enjoyed a relaxed lunch together. Any tension between them faded from memory.

**OIOI**

**One Week Later…**

Legolas and Elrond sat in the private dining hall eating alone for a change. Not even Glorfindel and Erestor were present in the room that night and for once both lord and prince felt free of responsibility. To say that Legolas had been glad for this privacy was an understatement. He had been thrilled when Elrond had told him of the plans he'd made for their evening and he had been looking forward to it all day. Although Elrond made more of an effort to spend time with Legolas as his due date approached, he remained busy in his office and Legolas spent most of his days alone either just sitting reading or walking in the grounds. Occasionally, Arwen would join him on his walks but being Elrond's daughter, she too was often burdened with her own responsibilities within her father's realm. Elladan and Elrohir were riding to the Rivendell borders with more and more frequency of late so usually Legolas only saw them in passing now. Because of all this, he often found himself feeling rather lonely.

However, as the long day had drawn on, Legolas' good cheer had dampened slightly and now, sitting at the table opposite his love, he found his attention wandering. Meanwhile, Elrond was talking animatedly about his day negotiating with the 'uncouth humans' in the Gondorian delegation. It did not escape the lord's notice that it had become a rather one-sided conversation.

After a moment of silently watching Legolas shifting food disinterestedly around his plate, Elrond put his own cutlery down and straightened in his chair. He cleared his throat and waited for a response but Legolas' eyes didn't leave his almost full plate.

"Am I really that boring to listen to?" Elrond snapped in mild annoyance.

Legolas sat upright, blinking as he focused his wandering attention on Elrond. "I'm sorry, what?" he asked.

"Have you listened to a single thing I've been saying?"

For a moment Legolas was silent as if desperately searching his mind for anything he had heard Elrond say over the course of the dinner but it seemed he couldn't think of anything and he sighed softly. "I'm sorry, melleth nin."

Legolas then lowered his fork to his full plate and Elrond asked, "Is there something wrong with the food?" He gestured to Legolas' plate.

"No," the prince replied vaguely.

"Then why aren't you eating it?"

"I'm just…I'm not really hungry," Legolas shrugged.

"This morning you said you were looking forward to having dinner with me. What has changed? Am I so dull that I've put you off your meal?" He couldn't help but feel a little annoyed by the prince's sudden lack of enthusiasm; he'd put a lot of thought into this, getting the dinner hall just perfect and having Legolas' favourite foods prepared, not to mention simply finding the time to attend the dinner in the first place and now Legolas was being so unappreciative of his efforts.

"No. I'm sorry, Elrond. It's not you," Legolas protested quickly.

"Then what, Legolas?" Elrond asked in exasperation before taking a breath to cool his rising temper and reaching across the table to take Legolas' hand in his own. "Tell me what is wrong."

"Nothing's wrong."

"It is not 'nothing' if you're so distracted. You can talk to me, melleth nin, you know that," the healer urged as kindly as he could.

"Nothing is wrong, Elrond," Legolas snapped, snatching his hand back. "I'm just tired."

Elrond frowned at the answer. "Did you not sleep well last night?" He had heard Legolas get up twice during the night but for the rest of the time he had been unaware of any trouble and the prince had looked restful that morning.

"I slept fine," Legolas answered vaguely, running his fingers through his loose hair, seemingly bored and disinterested with even this conversation.

Keeping his frustration in check, Elrond continued, "Well, the pregnancy is no doubt draining a lot of your strength, you're bound to be feeling more fragile than normal. You really should rest more; then you wouldn't feel so weak."

Anger rising in his chest at being spoken to like a child and called 'weak' all in one, Legolas stood up suddenly. "Excuse me," he said shortly.

Elrond stood up also and asked, "Where are you going?"

"To bed," Legolas snapped angrily, throwing his napkin down on the table and striding away.

"Fine. Go," Elrond called as he watched his love storm from the dining room. When the door slammed closed, Elrond sat down heavily in his chair with an exclamation of annoyance. He didn't even know what he had done – or for that matter why his own patience was so thin all of a sudden. He knew enough about pregnancy to know all about strange mood swings and that a partner's patience was key in such matters but he'd put a lot of thought and effort into this dinner and he had been looking forward to a nice evening with his love and Legolas had ruined it for him.

With a deep sigh, Elrond pulled himself together, his anger already gone. Of course, he couldn't remain annoyed at Legolas. He hadn't even really done anything wrong, after all. Deciding to leave Legolas alone for a while to calm down, Elrond slowly finished his meal, no longer really enjoying either the fine food or the special wine he had brought up from the cellar for himself to toast his partner and their unborn children. The servants gave him a strange look when they came to clear the plates away and serve a dessert of strawberries and cream.

Elrond quickly finished his food then stood up, picking up the other bowl and spoon then going to their rooms where he knew Legolas would be. He paused only to ensure he wouldn't lose his temper again before striding boldly up to his door. Out of courtesy only Elrond knocked but didn't wait for a response – perhaps knowing he wouldn't get one – before opening the door and stepping inside.

No candles or lamps were lit meaning the only light in the room came from outside. Legolas was standing on the balcony, bathed in silver moonlight. The Elven lord walked up to him cautiously to see that he was leaning against the railing, one hand rubbing circles over his belly.

"Legolas?" Elrond asked softly, standing beside him. The prince didn't even acknowledge him although Elrond couldn't see his face. Attempting to break the tension and broker peace between them, Elrond kept his voice even and soft but also cheerful. "I brought you some food. I thought you might still be hungry; you hardly touched your meal." He saw Legolas' shoulders tense slightly as if preparing himself for another argument but Elrond kept his voice steady and calm. "It is strawberries with cream – your favourite." Legolas still didn't speak, although some of the tension melted away, which Elrond had to take as a small victory. "Well, maybe you'll feel like eating them later on. I'll leave them here." He reached over and placed the bowl on the balcony table. The blonde Elf didn't even move and Elrond let out a soft sigh. He hated this awkwardness between them, especially when Legolas wouldn't even speak to him in an attempt to resolve it. "All right, I'll leave you to it then," Elrond said, not unkindly. "Please don't stay out here too long. It is chilly out tonight."

Elrond turned to leave but Legolas' voice, quiet and choked, said, "Sorry."

The lord of Rivendell turned back, unsure if he'd heard Legolas speak or not. "Excuse me?"

Legolas seemed to lean heavier against the railing and his voice trembled slightly. "I said I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

Without hesitation, Elrond was back at Legolas' side but the prince's gaze remained firmly fixed on the beautiful valley glimmering in the moonlight so Elrond couldn't see his face. "There is nothing to forgive, melleth nin." Elrond laid his hand on the blonde Elf's back, moving closer until he felt the warmth of Legolas' body pressed up against his own. Enjoying the closeness, Legolas nevertheless turned his head so he was facing away from his love. "Are you all right?"

Legolas nodded gently but raised a hand to his face.

Very gently, Elrond eased the prince around slightly so they were face to face and despite the fact the prince had his head lowered, Elrond could see the fresh tears streaking down his cheeks. "Legolas, what is wrong, my love? Talk to me, please. Tell me what is the matter."

Legolas shook his head with a weak smile as he lifted his hand to wipe away his tears. "I'm sorry I ruined your dinner. I'm sorry I was so ungrateful. I didn't mean to make you angry."

"I don't care about any of that. Now, what has gotten you so upset?" Elrond asked gently, tucking Legolas' hair behind his ears from where it fell messily across his face.

"It's nothing," the blonde Elf said wearily.

Elrond's expressive brown eyes looked him up and down, knowing fully well it wasn't 'nothing' and that something was bothering the younger Elf. "Come back inside, it's cold out here." Legolas nodded so the Elven lord led him back into the bedroom and sat him down on the bed. Elrond crouched down in front of him, placing his hands on Legolas' knees to gain his attention. "Legolas, I want you to tell me the truth now. Are you in any pain, my love?"

Legolas' hand, which had lingered on his stomach, rubbed another wide circle but said, "Not here." Instead of telling Elrond where it did hurt though, Legolas gently – almost tentatively – took Elrond's hands and moved them slowly to rest on the small of his back then he brought Elrond's passive hands up to rest on his chest, feeling the steady heartbeat beneath the silky fabric of his shirt. "And here," Legolas continued, raising his own hand to rest against his head. "And here." Legolas shifted his feet on the floor to suggest that his feet and ankles still ached.

Sure that the prince had finished his worrying confession, Elrond shook his head sadly, his hands slipping from Legolas' chest to instead rest on his thighs. "Legolas, why didn't you say something sooner?"

Still not meeting his partner's eyes, Legolas said quietly, "I didn't want to worry you but…I don't know…lately it's gotten…too much."

Elrond's strong hands stroked his legs comfortingly. "You haven't been sleeping well either?" he asked, for the first time noticing the dark circles beneath Legolas' eyes, a testament to how tired he really was and the prince confirmed this with a nod.

"I just can't get comfortable," he admitted quietly.

"Legolas," Elrond whispered sympathetically, placing his palm on the prince's cheek. "You should have told me."

"I didn't want to…"

"Worry me?" Elrond guessed and the prince nodded in confirmation. "There are some things that I have to worry about and right there at the top of the list is if you're in any discomfort. I don't want to see you hurting and I want to help stop it if I can but you have to tell me when you're not feeling well."

Legolas nodded slowly with a small smile but Elrond could see him fighting back tears. When the tears spilled over, Elrond stood then sat down on the bed, enveloping the younger Elf in a hug. Legolas leaned against him, burying his face in the Elven lord's robes. Elrond felt the young prince shuddering slightly in his embrace and knew he was crying softly so he carefully ran hands over Legolas' trembling back.

"Shh, it's all right. I'm going to try to make you feel more comfortable, melleth nin. Don't worry; we'll sort you out now. Shh, shh, it's all right," Elrond reassured as Legolas cried onto his shoulder. It made his heart ache to see his love in such a state.

"I'm sorry," Legolas' tear-choked and muffled voice came.

"It's all right," Elrond smiled sadly, tenderly rocking the pregnant Elf.

"Please don't hate me for being so awful to you," the prince cried, his arms tightening on his partner, as if afraid Elrond was going to send him away.

Elrond silently cursed Thranduil for ever putting such a thought into the prince's head.

"Oh Legolas, I don't hate you. I never could. And I am never going to leave you. I promise you that." Elrond glanced down at the prince when he felt him breathe a sigh of relief. "But I am worried about you. I hate the thought of you feeling unwell."

Legolas pulled back, wiping the tears from his face. "I'm so sorry, Elrond, I completely ruined your night."

"No, you didn't ruin anything. Listen, from now on I want you to be concentrating on getting through this pregnancy not on me." His hands strayed back to Legolas' swollen stomach. "These two have to be your priority right now." Elrond's hand then moved up to caress the pale cheek. "And you are my only priority so if you're not feeling well you have to tell me, even if you know there's nothing I can do to make you feel better. I love you too much to see you upset."

"Thank you," Legolas whispered, more tears falling from his eyes at Elrond's kind words.

"Shh, it's all right."

"I didn't mean to be so…It's just lately…I…I can't even explain it." More tears fell and he wiped them away in frustration. "I don't even know why I'm crying. I mean, look at me, Elrond. I can barely even hold myself together so how am I supposed to raise two children? How and I supposed to keep us all together when I fall apart at every little thing?" Legolas said almost bitterly, angry at himself.

"Legolas…"

"I don't want you to…I didn't want you to see me like this, to be disappointed in me. I didn't want you to…to stop loving me, to send me away," he choked out haltingly.

Elrond stood up slowly and Legolas dissolved into sobs on the bed as he walked into the bathroom. He should never have said anything. Now Elrond was really disappointed in him and couldn't even stand to be in the same room as his weak excuse for a partner.

A minute later, Legolas felt someone sit down next to him and he looked up to see Elrond smiling at him. "Is that really what has gotten you so upset? You honestly think I'm disappointed in you?" the healer asked in a soft voice and the blonde Elf nodded almost shyly. "Legolas, I could never be disappointed in you, no matter what. Look at what you are doing - preparing these two babies for the world, going through the pregnancy on top of everything with your father. It's amazing, Legolas. You're doing an amazing thing and I am so immensely proud of you. And I don't care how many times you fall apart because I am always going to be here to help you, now and after our children are born. I'm always going to be here for you, understand?"

"Really?"

"Really," Elrond smiled sincerely.

"Even if I behave like a complete idiot?" Legolas asked shyly, wiping at his tears.

Elrond laughed softly. "Even if you behave like an idiot, which I don't think you're doing, by the way."

"You think this is normal?" Legolas asked, still tearful.

"Right now, yes, I think this is perfectly normal. You're pregnant and tired; you have a right to be emotional. You don't have to be perfect and flawless all the time. You're allowed to fall to pieces every once in a while."

"You're not angry?" Legolas asked quietly.

Elrond laughed gently at this. "Angry for what? For shedding a few tears?"

Shaking his head, Legolas corrected, "Because you're handling this way better than me."

"That is because I am well-rested and not carrying two babies inside of me," Elrond smiled kindly and Legolas returned the gesture. Reaching forward, Elrond gently wiped Legolas' tears away with the handkerchief he had retrieved from the bathroom.

"I love you," Legolas whispered almost hesitantly.

"I love you too," the elder Elf concurred, gently running his fingers through Legolas' hair, just as a sob escaped the pregnant Elf. Elrond can see Legolas fighting the tears and trying to swallow down his cries.

"I'm sorry," Legolas apologised but Elrond just hushed him, pulling himself up against himself again and Legolas gratefully rested against his shoulder.

"Shh, it's all right, melleth nin. You can cry all night if you want to – if it makes you feel better." Legolas held tightly onto him, crying onto the Elven lord's shoulder whilst Elrond held him back, rubbing his back soothingly. Despite his pride being rather severely dented by that evening, it felt good to just be truthful and let out his fears on a willing shoulder. Once he'd gained some control over his increasingly turbulent emotions, Legolas released his hold and Elrond obligingly pulled back a little. He had a gentle smile on his face and reached up to smooth Legolas' long, unruly hair away from his face. "Feel a little better for that?" he asked kindly.

Despite feeling like an upset little Elfling, Legolas nodded shyly. "Yes, thank you."

"Good. Now, you should climb into bed and get some sleep," Elrond said, still concerned by his love's apparent exhaustion.

"I can't."

"Have you suddenly lost the ability to lie down?" the older Elf joked lightly, hoping to relieve the tension that seemed to build up in the prince.

"No, I meant I won't be able to sleep."

"How do you know if you don't try?"

"Because…" Legolas shrugged.

"Good answer." Legolas looked away, knowing he was acting like a petulant child. "Look, I know that everything hurts right now and that you ache all over and you're uncomfortable but you have to rest. You look exhausted and pushing yourself this hard is not good for you or in the babies." Legolas nodded in understanding, still wiping his tears away with the handkerchief. "Perhaps a nice warm bath will help you relax. But after that you are going to lay down whether you sleep or not."

"Fine," Legolas snapped impatiently at Elrond's commanding words.

Ignoring the tone, Elrond stood to run the prince a bath, adding various fragrant oils to add to its calming properties. Whilst the bath was running, Elrond removed his own clothing, pulling on a dressing gown then undid the braids in his hair, letting it hang loosely over his shoulders. When the tub was half full, Elrond turned the water off and added some cold, swirling his hand around the well-prepared water, checking it wouldn't be too hot on Legolas' sensitive skin.

Once he was satisfied it was perfect, Elrond laid out a towel in front of the fire to warm up and dimmed the lamps a little, making the light less harsh. He then returned to the bedroom and held out his hands to Legolas. The prince took them and allowed Elrond to help him up. Wordlessly, the Elven healer led him slowly into the bathroom where he kicked the door closed before moving close to kiss the prince deeply. The younger Elf melted against him, relishing the closeness.

Pulling back with a smile, Elrond's steady fingers started unbuttoning Legolas' shirt. When the prince opened his mouth to protest that he could undress himself, Elrond's lips were pressed against his again, effectively silencing him. "Shh," he whispered when they parted and Legolas obediently kept his mouth shut, willing to play along with whatever Elrond had planned.

The lord of Imladris unbuttoned the shirt and slowly slipped it off, letting it fall to the floor. With a loving tenderness that Legolas had never experienced before Elrond placed kisses all over his exposed neck, chest and stomach whilst his hands ran over smooth, sensitive skin and Legolas closed his eyes, simply enjoying the attention bestowed upon him. The attentive lord then undid Legolas' trousers and slid them down his legs, letting Legolas lean on him as he removed them completely. Standing upright, Elrond smiled and pulled Legolas up against himself, again kissing compliant lips.

As he continued his loving attentions towards Legolas, the older Elf untied his own gown and let it slip over his shoulders and arms to join Legolas' clothes on the floor. Almost tentative hands came up to caress Elrond's own flawless skin and he smiled as he felt Legolas' breathing quicken. This wasn't supposed to be about passion though so he gently took Legolas' hands and stepped back.

"Come," he said softly, stepping up into the bath so he could support the prince in. He made sure that Legolas was safely sat in the water before sitting down himself behind the blonde. Elrond put his hands on stooped shoulders and said, "Lean back."

Legolas slowly eased himself back so he was leaning firmly against Elrond's body. Immediately, long arms were wrapped around him and he gratefully let his head fall back against Elrond's shoulder and closed his tired eyes. He could feel all the tension, sadness and anger draining from him as the warm water encased his aching body. He released a contented sigh and Elrond couldn't help but smile gently.

"That feels good," the prince murmured softly.

"Shh, just relax," Elrond whispered in his ear as he took the flannel from the water. He gently started ringing the warm water over the tight skin of Legolas' stomach and the prince practically moaned at the exquisitely relaxing feeling. The warmth and weightlessness of the water eased the pressure on his back and ankles, reducing the terrible aching and Elrond's ministrations further distracted him from his discomfort.

After a moment, Elrond started running the smooth, warm flannel over his exposed body, his touches exceedingly gentle. "Are you still awake?" he asked softly as he ran the flannel over Legolas' tight chest, easing his strained breathing.

"Mmm," Legolas murmured incoherently.

"Rest, melleth nin."

Legolas' breathing evened out after a minute but Elrond kept up his soothing actions, knowing the prince was drifting in peaceful reverie if not proper sleep. For the first time in weeks, he was comfortable and Elrond was perfectly content to leave him to rest while he had the opportunity.

Nearly an hour later, however, the water started to cool so Elrond gently roused the dozing young Elf. "I think it is time you went to bed," he said softly when Legolas had opened his bleary eyes.

Legolas nodded gently but turned his head to look up at Elrond. "Thank you," he said softly, genuine gratitude in his eyes.

"You are welcome," Elrond smiled as he helped the pregnant Elf get out of the bath. He quickly wrapped a warm towel around him and patted his body dry, not wanting Legolas to do a lot of bending while he was comfortable. "How is the pain?" he asked as he helped Legolas dress in clean, loose-fitting nightclothes.

"Better."

"Good." Elrond quickly dried himself off and pulled on his own clothes before leading the prince back into the bedroom.

"Now I want you to eat something," he told the younger Elf as they sat down on the bed. At Legolas' doubtful look, he smiled and picked up the bowl of strawberries he had saved. "Are you sure I can't tempt you?" he asked suggestively, holding a particularly juicy strawberry dipped in cream to Legolas' lips and the blonde Elf could not help but smile. "Not even a bite?" Legolas actually laughed at the Elven lord's teasing tone and he opened his mouth for Elrond to allow him to slip the fruit in. He eagerly swallowed the delicious food and had soon consumed the whole bowl, with Elrond taking the odd one for himself. "That wasn't so terrible, was it?" Elrond smiled as he placed the empty bowl on the table.

"No," Legolas chuckled.

"Now come and lie down and try to get some proper sleep." Although Legolas thought this was pointless, he pulled the sheets back and climbed in. "Wait a second," Elrond said once the prince was sat in bed but before he even had the chance to lie down. The lord picked up a pillow and gently placed it under Legolas' bare feet before replacing the covers. "Lay down on your side," he instructed and Legolas did as he was told, despite the awkward position not being particularly comfortable. Elrond then slipped beneath the sheets behind him and Legolas went to turn over to face him but Elrond's hand on his back stopped him. "No. Stay where you are."

"Elrond, what are you doing?" Legolas asked in exasperation.

"I'm just trying to make you more comfortable so you can get some proper sleep tonight," Elrond said calmly.

"Well, this isn't comfortable," Legolas snapped in annoyance. He was just starting to feel better and now Elrond was undoing all the good the warm bath had done.

"Just relax," Elrond smiled, ignoring the prince's short temper. "Being propped up a little will ease the strain on your chest and aid your breathing."

"Great. Except now my back hurts," he almost whimpered, tears of frustration pooling in his eyes again. After weeks of sleepless nights he was tired beyond tolerance and he just wanted to sleep.

"Shh," Elrond soothed gently. He reached over to extinguish the lamp.

"I can't sleep like this," Legolas moaned, his back protesting at the awkward position he was laid in.

"Would you please just trust me?" Elrond said good-naturedly, running his hand up and down Legolas' arm. The prince didn't protest any more so Elrond continued. "All right, now lean back against me until the strain on your back eases and it doesn't hurt anymore."

"But you…" Legolas protested as Elrond laid down beside him.

"Just do as you're told, Legolas Greenleaf," Elrond told him firmly but kindly.

With a sigh, Legolas leaned back, feeling Elrond's arms around him, supporting him. Despite his reluctance to cause Elrond any discomfort, Legolas did as he was told, allowing the older Elf to support him and he let out an involuntary sigh of relief as the pain eased.

"How's that?" Elrond asked once Legolas settled.

"Good," Legolas mumbled, seemingly already sleepy.

"Then close your eyes and try to rest."

Legolas raised his eyes to meet Elrond's incredulously. "Elrond, as comfortable as I may be, you're…"

"Perfectly fine where I am. As long as you're not in pain, that is all I care about."

"You can't stay like that all night."

"Of course I can."

"Won't you be uncomfortable?" Legolas' voice was already growing fainter and slower.

"Not at all," Elrond answered, pulling the sheets over them. "You just go to sleep, my love. Don't worry about me. Go to sleep." Elrond's soothing voice and confident embrace lulled him into sleep before he could protest any further. Within minutes he was fast asleep and Elrond settled down for a long night, not caring that Legolas' extra weight was pressing on him. If his love had a peaceful, pain-free night then he didn't mind in the least.

**To Be Continued…**


	12. Increasing Pressures

Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own anything Tolkien created. Nope, not a thing.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****Yes this is an m-preg, as in male pregnancy. I know anatomically it is impossible in the real world but I like the idea (mainly for the Legolas suffering that goes with it). Please, if you are dead set against this kind of thing then don't read then complain that you weren't warned.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 12 ~ Increasing Pressures**

**OIOI**

**Month 12…**

"Good morning," Elrond smiled brightly when a rather ruffled-looking Legolas stepped from their bedroom.

"Is it?" he grumbled, sitting down heavily in an armchair. With less than a month left until the birth, the usually active prince found it difficult now to even walk around his rooms let alone do much else. Unfortunately, being stuck indoors and practically confined to his bedroom did nothing for the prince's mood. He missed his daily walks in the gardens – now all he could do was stand on his balcony and watch the beauty of Rivendell from above rather than being actively inside it. The one time he had tried to venture towards his favourite spot in the grounds he had only reached the entrance hall before he had found himself out of breath and longing for somewhere to lay down. Luckily, Elladan and Elrohir just happened to be returning from one of their trips and had supported him back to the comfort of his rooms. When Elrond had found out, he had been furious and forbidden him to go too far.

"Oh dear. Not in a good mood?" Elrond smiled, looking up from the papers he was reading. The prince just glared at him. "Did you not sleep well?"

"What do you think?" Legolas snapped. Upon Elrond's frown the prince sighed softly. "I'm sorry. It's just every time I lay down at night to sleep they start kicking. It's like they wait until I go to bed then decide to torture me."

Elrond considered this for a moment. "Then sleep when they are quiet," Elrond said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"What? During the day?" Legolas asked, stunned.

The Elven lord laughed softly, putting his papers down and shifting to the edge of the seat. "Yes, during the day. You can sleep whenever you like, you know." Legolas looked confused at this but Elrond refrained from laughing again. "Listen, whenever you're feeling tired, wait until the twins are quiet go and lie down and sleep for a while. At this stage of your pregnancy you have to take every opportunity you can to rest. It won't hurt you to take a nap during the day if you need to."

"Fine," Legolas snapped, looking even more miserable than before.

Taking the prince's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze, Elrond said, "I know it's hard, my love." Legolas nodded and tried to work up a convincing smile, which Elrond appreciated. "Now, how about some breakfast? Are you hungry?"

This seemed to cheer the pregnant Elf significantly and he nodded. "Starving."

"Then I shall order us breakfast. You stay here and we'll eat together this morning." Legolas nodded again and Elrond went to retrieve a good breakfast for them both. As soon as he returned, Legolas hungrily tucked into the food, clearing his full plate then helping himself to some of the fruit placed between them. "So, this evening I thought we could meet up with the twins and Arwen in the Halls of Fire, just to spend some time together…as a family," Elrond suggested after a while of watching Legolas happily eating.

"Sounds good," Legolas said through a mouthful of apple.

"We could just sit, read – nothing strenuous."

Legolas nodded. "Can Glorfindel join us?"

Although a little surprised, Elrond knew that his seneschal had been a good friend to Legolas during his difficult pregnancy and for that he was grateful. "Yes, of course. If he's not too busy he can come."

"Thank you."

"Of course. Maybe we should invite Erestor as well."

Legolas pulled a face. "No, I don't think so. I know he's your advisor and he's valuable to you in the running of Imladris but…"

"Not friendship material?" Elrond laughed knowingly and Legolas smiled up at him. "I know he can be a bit cold sometimes but he had a good heart."

"I know," Legolas sighed heavily.

"So, shall I invite him too?"

"If you want," Legolas said vaguely. "Are you going to eat that?" he asked, pointing with his fork to Elrond's scrambled eggs.

"No. Help yourself," the Elven lord said, handing him the plate containing the remains of his breakfast. He liked to see Legolas' appetite at its peak and smiled as Legolas polished off his stolen eggs. "Right, I have to get to work," Elrond said, standing up. "Will you be all right until this evening?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. See you later."

Leaning down to kiss him, Elrond smiled gently. "I love you." The prince smiled up at him through his eating but didn't say anything, knowing Elrond understood that he returned the sentiment.

Once more, Legolas spent the day alone in his rooms, sitting on the balcony for most of the morning. At lunch time, Glorfindel stopped by to bring him lunch as he did most afternoons when Elrond couldn't make it and they ate together, talking about all manner of things – the upcoming parents, the on-going human negotiations that continued to drag on, the general goings on in Imladris and anything else that came into mind. Legolas enjoyed these lunches and talks. Really, besides Elrond's children, Glorfindel was his only friend in Rivendell and he valued that friendship greatly. The seneschal also enjoyed Legolas' company. The prince was always good companionship; easy to talk to, sharp-minded and witty when appropriate. The two had always gotten along during Legolas' extended stays in Rivendell although unshakeable responsibilities and difference in rank had never really permitted a friendship but now Legolas was free of all that and it turned out that a friendship was blooming.

Duty called Glorfindel back to his office and Legolas spent the afternoon tweaking the furniture in the nursery until he was satisfied – for today, anyway. No doubt tomorrow it would need changing again. Elrond merely teased him about his 'nesting' but allowed him to fiddle with the nursery all he liked. In Legolas' mind, it had to be perfect – his children deserved perfection.

Just before Elrond was due back, Legolas changed into his fine robe and retrieved a book from Elrond's shelf to read, knowing it would be a quiet evening after dinner.

He was proven correct. Elladan and Elrohir were always far too excitable for dinner to become boring and Legolas happily laughed at their stories. When the party – which happily included Glorfindel and not so happily also contained Erestor – moved to the Halls of Fire, chatting quietly to each other, things started to calm down amongst them. Whilst Glorfindel, Erestor and Legolas took comfortable armchairs between them, Elrond and Arwen reclined on the divan, Elrond holding his daughter close. Soon they were all settled, either talking quietly or reading.

All the tension drained from them as they sat in the cosy but spacious hall, firelight flickering gently. Usually, the Hall was used for events during the day and in the evening people gathered there freely, talking, singing, telling stories and generally mingling. Tonight though it was off limits to the general public for the lord's private use.

By ten that night, just as the twins and Arwen were regaling the others with comedic tales of their childhood, Legolas lowered his book and tried to stifle a yawn behind his raised hand. He didn't notice Glorfindel's sharp eyes on him as he continued reading, fighting to keep his eyelids from drooping.

When a few minutes later his book nearly slipped from his hand as sleep almost took him, Glorfindel smiled. Standing, he walked over to Elrond, who was speaking softly to Arwen. He placed his hand on his lord's shoulder and Elrond looked up at him.

"Excuse me, sir, but I think perhaps you should take the prince back to his rooms," Glorfindel said, nodding over to Legolas.

Elrond turned to see his love trying to conceal another yawn behind his hand. "Right. Thank you, Glorfindel." He placed a kiss on his daughter's cheek before standing up and going over to the prince who was trying to concentrate on his reading.

"Legolas?" Elrond asked, laying his hand on Legolas' arm and the blonde Elf looked up. "Ready for bed?"

The prince looked around at the others, who were watching them with small smiles. "You don't have to leave," Legolas said quietly.

"I want to. I'm exhausted after all these Human negotiations. Come on, let's go." Legolas nodded so Elrond held out his hand to help Legolas up out of the chair. "Goodnight, everyone," Elrond called back as they left to a chorus of 'goodnight's'. "You weren't too bored tonight, were you?"

"Not at all," Legolas smiled, leaning into Elrond as an arm went around him. "I enjoyed it actually."

"Good. I'm glad."

When they reached their rooms, both immediately got into his nightclothes and climbed into bed. It didn't take long for Elrond to drift off into a peaceful sleep with Legolas laid against him. Sleep did not come so easily for Legolas though. Despite being tired, he just couldn't settle, no matter how often he shifted position in bed. Closing his eyes with a heavy sigh, Legolas decided to attempt to force his mind into rest and ignore the bodily complaints that bothered him.

At nearly two in the morning, Legolas finally admitted defeat and opened his eyes. Forcing himself to rest wasn't working either. Turning his head to the side he saw Elrond sound asleep beside him, untroubled by his bed-mate's discomfort. Although he wanted nothing more than for Elrond to move into a position where he could lie against him with the needed support as they had done previously, Legolas would never consider purposefully disturbing his rest for his own gain, especially not as Elrond had already confessed to his own tiredness. So he suffered in silence, lying quietly until his body ached so much that he honestly felt that he couldn't lie in bed any longer.

Levering himself up, Legolas carefully climbed out of bed, being cautious of waking his partner. His extra weight meant it was impossible to do smoothly and he suddenly felt Elrond's hand on his arm.

"Legolas? What are you doing?" Elrond asked sleepily.

"I can't sleep."

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Go back to sleep," Legolas urged quietly, getting out of bed.

"Come back to bed."

Pulling on his dressing gown, Legolas shook his head. "I can't sleep," he said with a false, weak smile.

"Let me help," Elrond said, going to sit up and rearrange the pillows so Legolas could lay against him again to aid him in sleep.

"No, it's fine," Legolas said, holding up his hand to stop Elrond. "Really, I think I just need to walk around for a while."

"Being on your feet won't help you sleep. You need to lie down."

"I don't want to keep you up as well. There's no point in both of us being kept awake. You go back to sleep."

"Legolas…" Elrond sighed.

"I'll be fine, Elrond. I'll be back soon. I'll be more tired after a walk."

Concerned for his love, Elrond asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Legolas smiled, despite wanting nothing more than to crawl back into bed, be enveloped in Elrond's comforting arm and cry himself into a much-needed, exhausted sleep but his conscience, not to mention his pride, kept him from doing so. "I'll be back soon. Go to sleep."

As Legolas left the bedroom, Elrond reluctantly laid down and despite his worry for Legolas' well-being and quickly fell back to sleep.

Legolas, meanwhile, wandered around the lounge on silent feet. Unfortunately, Elrond was correct in that the movement did little to alleviate his discomfort and it only put more pressure on his aching legs and ankles. Giving up entirely on the idea of going back to bed that night, Legolas picked up the book he had started in the Halls of Fire that night and sat down in front of the fire. Settling himself in for a long, once more sleepless night, Legolas propped his elbow up on the arm of the chair and tried to lose himself in his book. Reading by firelight was at least relaxing and the enchanting words did distract him from the pain.

Elrond woke to the sound of pouring rain pounding against the windows and he sat up in bed. Casting a confused look to Legolas' side of the bed, Elrond climbed out of bed and pulled on his dressing gown. Despite the grey, dismal outlook over Imladris, Elrond knew it was no later than seven in the morning. Usually, Legolas was still asleep at this time of morning despite being an early riser in the past.

Frowning slightly, Elrond padded across the room and opened the door to the lounge, his eyes immediately lighting on Legolas sitting in the armchair by the lit fire, fully dressed for the day ahead. He walked over and smiled when Legolas looked up at him.

"You're up early," Elrond said, sitting down in the chair opposite him. Although Legolas smiled at him Elrond could clearly see how pale he was and how tired he looked. The prince's pale face remained impassive but his eyes clearly showed how much discomfort he was in. "Did you get any sleep at all last night?" the older Elf asked, leaning forwards and putting his hands on Legolas' knees. Legolas merely smiled meekly, confirming his suspicions. "Melleth nin," Elrond sighed sympathetically. "You should have come in and woken me."

"You looked so peaceful that I didn't like to disturb you. Besides, I was fine sat here. I read," Legolas told him, displaying the book he still held in his hand.

Despite Legolas' nonchalance about it, Elrond could see that he was suffering still. "Oh, Legolas," he sighed, his warm hand caressing the pale cheek. Although he wanted nothing more than to stay with his love all day, he knew that soon Erestor would come searching for him to start the day. "I really have to get dressed," he told Legolas, standing from his seat. "You really should keep your feet up; it'll help reduce the swelling and ease the ache," he said gently, lifting Legolas' feet up and taking his boots off for him. He pulled the footstool close and put a soft cushion on it before carefully placing Legolas' feet up on it, making certain he was comfortable.

Legolas smiled at him as Elrond returned to the bedroom and quickly readied himself for the day within thirty minutes he was fully dressed in burgundy and gold formal robes and stepped back into the warm lounge to collect his papers.

"Promise me you'll get some rest today," he said from his desk and Legolas nodded in response. "I have a few meetings this morning but maybe I can get free long enough to have lunch with you later."

"Sounds good," Legolas smiled, watching Elrond move gracefully around the room.

"The maids should be here in a few minutes to tidy the rooms so you can ask them to bring you some breakfast. Unless you want me to order you something before I go."

"I'm fine, thank you."

"All right," Elrond said, finally turning to the pregnant Elf. "I have to go. Get some rest and send for me if you need me. I'll see you later." He kissed Legolas deeply on the lips and hurried out the door to meet with his advisors.

Now alone, Legolas let his façade slide away and his shoulders stooped and a sigh escaped him. He rubbed his aching eyes as he let his head fall back. With nothing else to do, he opened his eyes and started reading. The maids did indeed come by and made the bed, tidying up as they went but Legolas didn't bother asking them to bring him any food, he didn't think he had the energy to eat anyway.

He remained in the same chair all morning, too tired to bother moving. He read his book until he reached the end then, not being able to sleep, started from the beginning again. Every hour or so he would lower his novel, shift position, lay his head back and close his eyes, hoping sleep might suddenly take him but he always found himself once more alert.

At around midday, a respected knock came from the door, causing him to look up in surprise. No one had bothered him all morning. "Come in," he called, not wanting to get up to answer it. The door opened cautiously and the visitor stepped inside. "Glorfindel, what are you doing here?" Legolas smiled politely, not having expected his friend today.

"Good afternoon, Legolas. I didn't want to disturb you if you were resting," Glorfindel smiled, closing the door behind him.

"Not much chance of that," the prince laughed, gesturing to his belly.

"I brought you lunch. Lord Elrond is stuck in a meeting with the Humans. He sends his apologies that he couldn't be here." Legolas forced a smile onto his face, despite his disappointment. "I'm afraid I can't stay long either. I'm swamped in paperwork today," Glorfindel said, placing the plate of food he was carrying on a table and dragging it closer to the chair. "There. It is your favourite according to Elrond."

"Glorfindel, before you go could you please give me a hand up?" Legolas asked, laying his book down.

"Of course," the captain said, holding out his hand for Legolas to take and carefully pulling him up. He ensured Legolas was steady before releasing him and Legolas immediately shuffled into the bathroom. Whilst the prince was out of the room, Glorfindel busied himself stoking the fire and fluffing up the pillows on the chair.

"Thank you," Legolas said when he returned.

"You are welcome." Glorfindel watched Legolas stretch his cramped muscles uneasily then asked, "Is there anything I can get you?"

"I wouldn't mind a new book to read," Legolas replied, easing himself awkwardly back down into the chair. "I'm afraid this one is losing its appeal the second time around."

"Then I shall raid Elrond's library for you to find something more entertaining."

"And maybe some tea," Legolas added as the seneschal walked to the door.

"Book and tea. Got it."

It didn't take long for Glorfindel to fetch back a selection of books for Legolas to choose from. "Reading material," Glorfindel said, placing the books on the table. "And a mug of Rivendell's finest herbal tea." He handed the mug to Legolas who accepted it gratefully.

"Thank you."

"Would you like me to help you to bed? You look like you could use some sleep."

"No, thank you. I'm fine here."

"Are you sure? I could get some more pillows to prop you up, then you could just sit in bed. That way you could sleep if you wanted to."

"I prefer sitting here."

Glorfindel sighed, regarding the prince with a sharp gaze. "I feel bad just leaving you here with no help."

"I'll be fine, Glorfindel. Although if it would make you feel better you could put my feet up on the stool for me," Legolas smiled.

Cocking his golden head to the side in question, Glorfindel did as instructed, carefully placing Legolas' feet on the fluffed up pillow. "I sincerely hope you are teasing me, Your Highness." Legolas just smiled at him, not answering the suspicious question. "There. How is that?"

"Beautifully done, Captain. Elrond would be proud."

Glorfindel laughed and said, "Now you are definitely teasing. Is there anything else before I go?"

"I think that's it for now."

"Right, I'll be around all afternoon so you can send someone to my office to fetch me if you need anything at all," Glorfindel said seriously, going to the door.

"Thank you, Glorfindel."

"See you later." And with that he was left alone again. He drained his tea, happily reading the new book then finished off half the lunch Glorfindel had brought him.

Sitting quietly before the fireplace was certainly relaxing and it apparently also relaxed the children inside him as they finally stopped moving about as the afternoon crawled on. By the time evening was drawing in, Legolas' body had reached its limit and without even realising it, his eyes fell closed, his head leaned back against the wing of the armchair and the book lay precariously balanced in his lax fingers, the other hand resting protectively over his swollen stomach.

When Elrond returned to his rooms at around nine that night, his eyes immediately found the sleeping prince. Smiling softly, he closed the door, wincing even at the quiet click the latch made. Silent feet took him across the lounge and into the bathroom where he quickly shed his formal robes for something more comfortable. He retrieved a soft blanket from the bed and padded back to the lounge.

Another smile played across his lips when he noticed the awkward angle at which Legolas was laid in the chair. It couldn't possibly have been comfortable and yet the prince looked peaceful enough. Carefully, Elrond took the open book from between limp fingers and placed it on the table then he gently laid the blanket over the blonde Elf. Legolas stirred and shifted slightly but he didn't wake so Elrond stepped back, deciding to leave his love to sleep while he could. Satisfied that Legolas was resting easy, Elrond went to his desk to sign the papers Erestor had left with him earlier.

**OIOI**

Hushed voices filled Legolas' mind and he frowned slightly before opening his eyes and looking about blearily. He saw Elrond stood in the doorway speaking in a low voice to an Elf Legolas didn't recognise, although he assumed from the formal robes and harrowed look – not to mention the annoyance in Elrond's voice – that he was one of the lord's advisors.

Clearly, Elrond wasn't happy and after a minute he waved the advisor away, at which the tall Elf bowed and stepped back as Elrond carefully closed the door with a heavy sigh.

When the Elven lord turned around he noticed beautiful blue eyes watching him tiredly. He sighed again, apologetically this time, and walked over to his partner. "Legolas, I am so sorry. I was trying not to wake you," he said quietly.

"You're back," Legolas croaked unnecessarily.

"For about an hour now. Maybe you should move to the bed so you can…"

"No, Elrond. Please, I am fine here. It doesn't hurt so much in this position," the pregnant Elf pleaded. It had, after all, taken all day to find a position that didn't cause red hot pain to shoot down his strained back and sides.

Elrond looked rather doubtful as he took in the awkward angle at which Legolas was reclined back in the old armchair. To his eyes it couldn't possibly have been comfortable but he wasn't going to argue with the prince so he nodded. "All right, melleth nin. Whatever you want; wherever you feel at ease. Try to sleep some more."

The younger Elf didn't argue with this and closed his eyes in the hope of returning to his slumber. He heard Elrond moving quietly around their chambers, clearly trying hard not to make any loud noise that might disturb his partner. The soft sounds moved to the bathroom as the prince followed them with his sharp hearing.

Unfortunately, whatever comfort Legolas had previously found in his odd position had by now vanished and he found that he couldn't force his mind back into sleep nor push back the aching in his back. With a sigh, he opened his eyes again and sat up straight in the chair. A groan escaped his lips at the increased pain in his lower back, ironically having been exacerbated by his 'comfortable' position.

Elrond was instantly at his side when he heard the sound. "Legolas, are you all right?" he asked in concern as Legolas painfully pulled his blanketed feet off the footstool.

The prince nodded and forced a smile onto his lips despite the aching. "Sleep once more eludes me, it seems."

"I'm sorry, my love," Elrond whispered as he perched on the arm of the chair. His hand came to Legolas' face and gentle fingers smoothed messy hair from the pale features.

Running his hands down his face and tired eyes, Legolas yawned. "It's not your fault." He leaned into Elrond's embrace, feeling a tender kiss being pressed into his hair. For a moment, he closed his eyes and simply basked in Elrond's freely-given love. He listened to the beating of the heart beneath his ear, comforted by the strength that laid there.

Suddenly, Elrond's deep voice rumbled beneath his ear and he opened his eyes. "Have you eaten today? I could go get you some honey bread with oranges. That is your latest craving, is it not?"

Pulling back, Legolas replied, "Honey bread does sound good – but oranges? Lemon sounds far nicer." The prince smiled at Elrond's grimace of disgust.

"Your wish is my command, no matter how unpleasant it may be," Elrond chuckled, kissing Legolas once more before standing to leave. "I'll be right back."

Whilst the Elven lord retrieved them some food, Legolas levered himself out of the chair, not bothering to disguise his wince of pain now that there was no one around to see it. He carefully folded the blanket Elrond had placed over him and laid it neatly on the back of the chair.

After nearly fifteen minutes of waiting for Elrond's return, the prince strolled into the bathroom and set the water running. He was just starting to unbutton his shirt when the lounge door opened and Elrond called his name.

"In the bathroom," he responded over the sound of running water.

"Can I come in?"

"Of course."

Elrond's head peered around the door and he quirked a smile. "I'm sorry I was so long. Erestor waylaid me again. I got your honey bread, drizzled with bitter lemon and even the smell of it is turning my stomach."

"Oh, I was hoping to…" Legolas smiled dismissively, turning his water off.

"You can eat and bathe at the same time. Get in your bath, eat your vile food and relax."

"What about you?"

"I have some work to finish off." Elrond moved close and pressed his firm body against that of his love. "I'll leave you to rest for a while." He deeply kissed the prince, laid the plate of honey bread on the side then backed out of the bathroom, pulling the door closed behind him and leaving Legolas to his food and his bath, for which the prince was secretly grateful.

He lowered himself into the bath and leaned back with a satisfied murmur of pleasure. The warm water soothed his painful body and he laid back further, enjoying the nearly weightless feeling it created, easing away all the pressure the pregnancy was forcing his body to endure. He idly picked at his bitter-sweet treat until nothing but soggy crumbs remained on the plate. Closing his eyes, Legolas focused only on the liquid warmth surrounding him and after a few minutes, despite the cooling water, he found himself drifting off into sleep.

Elrond, meanwhile, sat cross-legged on the large double bed, reading through yet more work on the trade negotiations that Erestor insisted he complete, only occasionally taking a mouthful of his own snack, which lay on the plate at his side.

After nearly an hour and a half, Elrond looked up in concern at the bathroom door. Surely Legolas should have been done by now. Climbing carefully up so he didn't knock his pile of papers to the floor, Elrond went to the bathroom door and knocked gently. Although he received no response, he entered anyway and found Legolas had fallen asleep in the water.

"Legolas?" he asked, perching on the edge of the tub. He let his fingers dangle in the water and was not really surprised to find it stone cold. Raising his fingers to caress Legolas' slightly damp hair, Elrond called his name again. This time Legolas stirred but did not wake. "Come on, melleth nin. Time to wake up. Open your eyes."

Blue orbs, slightly dazed, fluttered open but he mumbled, "Go away."

"I can't, my love. You have to get out of there now," Elrond said kindly, taking Legolas' arm to help him up.

"No," the prince whimpered.

"Yes. Come, this water is cold."

"Just run fresh water, then," Legolas murmured, his eyes slipping closed again.

"No, Legolas, you have to get out now."

"Please."

"You have been in there for hours, we have to get you dry," Elrond told him in sympathy.

"But it's nice."

"I know, but you can't stay in the water all night."

"Why?"

"Because it's cold and it won't be good for the children if you get sick. The pregnancy has weakened your immune system so it's easier now for you to catch a chill," the Elven lord explained patiently.

"I don't want to."

"Well, you have to," Elrond told him bluntly, reaching into the water and pulling out the plug, so the cold water drained away.

"No, Elrond, please," the prince cried pleadingly.

"I'm sorry, my love, but you cannot stay in here. Come on, before you get cold."

The blonde Elf finally opened his eyes as the last of the water drained away, leaving him sitting in only a cold, shallow puddle. "It's not fair. It hurts."

Smoothing Legolas' hair back, Elrond said softly, "I know it does. Come on, let's get you dry then you can go to bed and get some sleep, all right?"

"I want to stay here," Legolas whined, his tone resembling that of a pleading child. "Please let me stay," he begged as Elrond reached for a towel.

"With no water? Not the best idea you have ever had, Legolas. Give me your hands and I'll help you out."

"I want to stay."

"Legolas, I love you and I would do anything for you but would you please stop being so difficult and get out of the bath." The prince lowered his head, although Elrond wasn't sure whether it was in shame or petulance. Not that it really mattered either way.

A small whimper escaped Legolas, which Elrond took to mean that he was admitting defeat. Taking Legolas' arms in a firm grip, Elrond carefully pulled him up until he was standing, not commenting on the fact that Legolas did very little to help. He finally, unwillingly, stepped out of the bath but made no move to dry himself off, so Elrond wrapped the large fluffy towel around him, a little concerned that the blonde Elf was starting to shiver slightly, and tenderly began to rub him dry.

He stopped suddenly when he heard a sob from the prince and he looked up to see tears running down pale cheeks.

"Oh, Legolas," he cooed sympathetically, wrapping the large towel around shuddering shoulders and pulling him into a hug. The prince laid his head on Elrond's shoulder and leaned against him as he continued to cry out his pain. Rubbing his back soothingly, Elrond said, "Shh, it's all right, sweetheart. I know you're uncomfortable right now but there is only another month left to go and then you will have two beautiful babies in your arms and all this will have been totally worth it. I promise you. You just have to hold on until then. Can you do that?" Elrond asked kindly, glancing down at the pregnant Elf, whose cries had dissolved into just the occasional sniff. The prince nodded gently, closing his eyes. "It'll be all right," he continued, holding his love carefully and swaying gently on the spot.

Closing his eyes, Legolas whispered, "I'm so tired, Elrond."

"I know you are, my love. I know. Let's get you dressed, warm and then get you into bed." Legolas raised his head, ready to protest but Elrond stared him down. "No arguing. I'll make you as comfortable as I possibly can so you can rest." The prince found that he couldn't argue so just nodded, offering a shaky smile as Elrond wiped his tears away with the edge of the towel.

Quickly, he finished drying Legolas off and helped the pregnant Elf into the most comfortable set of nightclothes he owned and led him out of the bathroom and into the warm bedroom. Elrond quickly collected up his papers, which were still spread all over the bed, then gestured for Legolas to come to him. "Come on, melleth nin. Come to bed."

Reluctantly, Legolas did as he was told and allowed Elrond to help him lie down, groaning softly to himself as his back protested. "Lie down," Elrond coaxed and Legolas did so, wincing as the babies kicked him. The Elven lord smiled as he saw this and bent to place a soothing kiss on Legolas' stomach, which the prince couldn't help but chuckle at.

Within minutes, Elrond had closed the drapes, extinguished the lamps and climbed into bed behind Legolas. He pulled the younger Elf into his arms, letting Legolas rest against him until he heard a soft sigh in the darkness.

"Go to sleep if you can, my love," Elrond whispered into a delicate ear as he ran his fingers through Legolas' hair and across his scalp, knowing it soothed him. Soon enough, under his own loving attentions, he felt Legolas' breathing becoming slower as he drifted off into an exhausted sleep, his worn out body giving in to its needs. He stayed awake all night, attuned to his love's every movement in case he should show any signs of his previous discomfort. The prince barely stirred though, only once releasing a sigh and snuggling closer to his protector.

**OIOI**

**TWO DAYS LATER…**

Elrond sighed heavily and rolled over in bed, his hand instinctively searching for his love but his fingers were met with only smooth sheets and no prince. Cracking his eyes open, Elrond discovered that the pregnant Elf's side of the bed was indeed empty. As he stifled a yawn, the Elven lord sat up and looked around the dark room. No light shone from the lounge so he knew that Legolas had not retreated to his chair by the fire as he did when he couldn't sleep. In fact, none of the lamps were lit so Elrond lit a candle. He noticed, with the light shining, that the bathroom door was open a crack. Concern nagging at his mind, Elrond slipped out from under the warm sheets and padded across the room, intending to check that his partner was all right.

Reaching the bathroom door, Elrond tapped lightly to let Legolas know he was coming in, then pushed the door open to reveal his love. Elrond's heart clenched in sympathy when he found Legolas sitting on the floor, leaned up against the bathtub, one arm draped over the edge so his fingers dangled near the base of the tub whilst the other was loosely wrapped around his stomach. His head was resting against the bath as if exhaustion had claimed him too suddenly to even lie down in a more comfortable position. Obviously, his stomach had betrayed him during the night as a basin was sat at his side. How the noise of Legolas vomiting had not woken him, Elrond didn't know, as the prince had clearly been in here for quite a while as it was gone four in the morning and the young prince looked exhausted.

Placing the candle on the side, Elrond retrieved the basin and quickly washed it out just in case it was needed again, then put it in the bedroom. He returned to the bathroom and gently removed Legolas' arm from the tub and instead placed it around his own neck. He pulled Legolas back up against him, causing the prince to groan softly, and then slipped his arm around Legolas' back and beneath his legs then lifted him carefully up, wincing only slightly at the weight of his prince.

Legolas groaned more deeply at the feel of movement as he was carried from the bathroom and he cracked his eyes open to see Elrond looking down at him in the relative darkness. "Shh, I'm just moving you back to bed," Elrond explained in a whisper.

His hand wrapped around the collar of Elrond's nightshirt as he protested wearily, "Don't. Put me down, you'll hurt yourself."

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine," he assured his love even as his arms ached under the prince's weight.

"I didn't want to wake you," Legolas mumbled, his eyes closing again and he head falling back tiredly against Elrond's shoulder.

"Well, you should have," Elrond admonished lightly, placing the prince down carefully on the bed.

Almost immediately, Legolas groaned again and struggled to sit upright. "I'm going to…"

Before he could even finish, the basin had appeared before him and what little remained in his stomach emptied itself. Elrond held the basin unflinchingly before him, kneeling on the bed and tenderly pulling long, blonde hair back, stroking it gently as the pregnant Elf retched. He whispered soothing nonsense until Legolas' stomach had calmed and he was able to safely sit back.

"All right?" Elrond asked kindly, easing Legolas back down with his free arm and the prince nodded tiredly. Elrond got up and rinsed the basin out in the bathroom, also pausing to wet a flannel with cold water. He returned to Legolas' side, putting the basin back down just in case, then sat on the bed and gently wiped Legolas' face with the cool cloth. "Shh, shh, it's all right," Elrond soothed as the young Elf continued to cry softly.

When Legolas rested his head against the Elven lord's shoulder, Elrond took the hint and sat back, pulling the trembling prince close to him and wrapping him up in strong arms. The young Elf relaxed slightly under Elrond's touch, laying his head against the healer's chest, relishing the feel of the cool fabric against his warm cheek. He snuggled until he had found the perfect position and then closed his eyes, concentrating solely on the feel of Elrond's gently rising and falling chest.

"How much longer will this continue?" he asked his love and healer in a whisper.

Glancing down, Elrond answered, "Truthfully, I don't know, melleth nin." He smiled softly. "Although, I think no longer than a month."

Legolas snorted softly at the joke. "One more month," he sighed to himself as he felt sleep coming up to claim him and he surrendered gratefully to it. Elrond's fingers still working through his hair and down his back and he melted into the comfort offered to him by his partner. For a moment at least it felt good.

**To Be Continued…**


	13. Simple Misunderstandings

Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own anything Tolkien created. Nope, not a thing.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****Yes this is an m-preg, as in male pregnancy. I know anatomically it is impossible in the real world but I like the idea (mainly for the Legolas suffering that goes with it). Please, if you are dead set against this kind of thing then don't read then complain that you weren't warned.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 13 ~ Simple Misunderstandings**

**OIOI**

Legolas laid in his bed on his side, watching the sun rising slowly over Imladris through the window through which he could just about see through. He was actually feeling quite comfortable this morning. His feet had stopped throbbing for a while, his back wasn't hurting yet. In fact, the only thing preventing him from returning to his peaceful sleep was his body's demand that he get up and do something about his full bladder, which in itself was hampered only by the fact that Elrond's arms were practically locked around him. Twice now he had tried to pry his sleeping love from around him but Elrond had merely muttered something under his breath, tightened his hold further and fallen back into deep reverie. For a while, Legolas decided to allow it; he felt too good to move anyway. Now though, the urgency was growing and he knew he couldn't put it off any longer.

Deciding that Elrond wasn't going to release him any time soon, Legolas attempted to wriggle out of his hold, being careful not to disturb the still sleeping lord. Unfortunately, his extra weight meant that he lacked the cat-like grace he had once possessed, which would have allowed him to easily slip out of the loving embrace. After only a few minutes of trying, Legolas let out a huff of frustration. His patience exhausted, he all but ripped Elrond's arms off him, pushing them away from his body in something akin to disgust.

This sudden action, of course, woke Elrond and he blinked to clear sleep from his eyes as Legolas struggled up. He reached to take the blonde's arm but startled when Legolas shook him off.

"Legolas, what's wrong?" Elrond asked, easily sitting up with an ease that did nothing to improve the prince's increasingly foul temper.

"You're crowding me," he snapped coldly, throwing the twisted sheets off of him.

"Here," Elrond offered, disentangling the sheets that had tangled in Legolas' feet. "You stay in bed; I'll get you whatever you need."

"I _need _to go to the bathroom. Can you do that for me, Elrond?" the pregnant Elf snapped with a cruelty that seemed unnecessary given the genuine nature of Elrond's offer.

Suitably told off, Elrond said, "No."

Legolas ignored the hurt tone as he walked – or, more accurately, waddled – towards the bathroom where he slammed the door behind him, making Elrond jump. When Legolas returned a few minutes later, Elrond smiled at him, hoping the relief had eased his mood. "Feel better?"

"Yes," the prince answered shortly.

"Then come back to bed." The dark-haired Elf patted the bed beside him.

"I'm not tired." Before Elrond could say anything else, Legolas was out of their rooms, slamming all the doors behind him leaving Elrond staring in shock at the empty room.

Whilst Elrond wracked his brains to find a cause for the sudden explosion in temper, Legolas stalked past the servants getting ready for the day ahead, ignoring the strange looks he got for being dressed in his loose-fitting nightclothes and bare feet, not to mention the thunderous look on his face. The prince kept walking until he burst through the doors, leading to the lord's private gardens. For a moment, he paused on the threshold before stepping outside and rapidly making his way over to his favourite old tree, whose rustling leaves told him that he was most welcome. Although he longed to leap up into its inviting branches, he knew the bump wouldn't accommodate it so instead he flung himself – albeit carefully – against its rough bark, leaning forward to press his forehead against the trunk.

For a long while he stood there, letting the peaceful song of the tree wash over him and soothe away his anger. He couldn't even remember why he had snapped. Grief finally consumed him as his raging anger burned itself out and he felt tears running down his face. His knees crumpled under him and he slipped down until he was kneeling in the dirt amidst the ancient tree's roots, sobbing his heart out.

Over the noise of his own cries, he heard the oak whispering reassurances and he settled back into it, feeling its kindness and fondness for the Wood Elf who graced it with his presence. Its gentle whisperings reminded Legolas of his home, when he used to spend hours simply sitting in the branches of the trees in the great forest, gratefully listening to their beautiful song and even joining in on occasion. Oh, how he missed his home.

Although he had found his escape in Rivendell whenever he could get away from his endless responsibilities in the Woodland Realm, he always liked to return to his home. Imladris was breath-takingly beautiful without question, but the Wood Elf always loved the forest he had grown up in and when he returned to the woods he found that he had missed them terribly. They gave him strength and over the years he had fought hard to defend their safety just as they had provided for and protected the people who lived amongst them for millennia. It was a symbiotic relationship that all Elves respected. The branches offered security and comfort, which Legolas found difficult to force from Rivendell's gardens despite their willingness to offer it.

He missed that security, he missed his home and despite everything, he missed his father. For all his failings – of which there were a fair few – he had always been there for his son after Legolas' mother had passed into the Halls of Mandos. In fact, Legolas had very fond memories of his childhood despite his numerous duties as crown prince that often took him away from children his own age.

Back then, his father had been all he needed in the world. Thranduil held him when he got sad or scared, helped him to his feet when his jaunts into the forest resulted in a scraped knee, he chased away the Orc-like monsters that had resided in his closet or under his bed. His Ada, the king, had protected him above all, no matter what mischievous adventure he had gotten himself into. There was, after all, no place safer for a little boy than in his father's impenetrable arms and Thranduil's were the strongest of them all.

How he wanted those arms around him now, to chase away the monsters that haunted his mind, to soothe away his hurts, to simply tell him that everything was all right, that things would turn out all right in the end. He ached for that reassurance, which for all his tender efforts, Elrond could never really hope to replicate. Nothing could ever take Thranduil's place no matter how much the young Elf wished it would. He didn't feel too ashamed to admit to himself that he wanted – he needed – his Ada.

He didn't know how long he sat there, crying to himself before curling up against his beloved tree and fell into a deep sleep. A gentle hand being placed on his back, accompanied by a concerned whispering finally woke him and he blinked into awareness to find himself still sitting on the ground, almost being cradled by the tree's roots and trunk and he himself curled up in a tight ball, as much as his stomach would allow with his arms wrapped around his chest as if in sleep he had tried to simulate the feel of Thranduil's arms around him.

"Legolas?" a soft voice asked and Legolas raised his head slightly to see worried blue eyes gazing down at him. The face was unmistakably Glorfindel. "Are you all right, mellon nin?"

"Yes," the prince answered weakly.

"What are you doing out here?"

Legolas' eyes shifted around but he didn't offer a reply and Glorfindel didn't press for one.

"Shall we get you back inside?" Although Legolas didn't respond, Glorfindel held out his hand for him to take and he allowed himself to be pulled carefully to his feet. "Come on, let's get you into bed."

Legolas followed him without protest but his eyes remained downcast and he stayed silent, almost as if he wasn't really paying attention to what was going on around him, which was more than a little worrying. Out of respect, Glorfindel also held his silence and concentrated solely on getting the unsteady prince back to the house.

The young Elf asleep under the tree in the gardens still dressed in his nightclothes had not been what he had expected to see on his way to speak with the gardeners but he had instantly rushed over to him, worried that something was seriously wrong. Relief that Legolas did not appear ill was tempered by the concern that he was out here alone in the first place. Where was Elrond? Usually the Elven lord kept a close eye on his partner just in case there was a hitch in the pregnancy. Surely he wouldn't let him sleep on the ground outside unattended.

Questions raced through his mind but dutifully he did not pose them. He may have been a friend of the family but that didn't give him the right to interfere in their personal affairs.

Finally, they reached the bedroom and Legolas immediately went to sit on the bed.

"Gone," came a watery, weak and terribly shaky voice.

Turning around, Glorfindel frowned. "What do you mean 'gone'?" he asked.

Legolas' eyes slowly came up to meet up with Glorfindel and it seemed his resolve cracked as he dissolved into tears. "He's gone," Legolas cried.

Glorfindel stood completely frozen on the spot for a minute, unable to do anything but stare in shock at the young Elf. Then sense kicked in. Of course Elrond had not left Imladris. He was bound to protect it and that meant he had to mainly keep within its borders. He stepped over to the bed, sat down and put his arm over Legolas' hunched, shaking shoulders. Legolas leaned into him, crying hard onto his friend. When he found that he no longer had the energy to hold himself upright, he laid down on the bed, with his head in Glorfindel's lap.

That was how Elrond found them a couple of hours later, except that Legolas was no longer awake but once more sound asleep. Glorfindel looked up when he heard the door open and he offered Elrond a small smile. In a flash, Elrond was at their side.

"What happened?" he asked in a soft voice.

"You tell me. I found him outside, fast asleep so I brought him back here then he said you were gone and burst into tears. He fell asleep again a little while ago."

"Oh."

"What happened between you two? He seemed pretty upset."

"I don't know what happened. He just shouted at me and slammed out this morning. I haven't seen him at all before now."

"You didn't go out to look for him?"

"I figured he would retreat into the gardens and I thought I might give him some space, some time to cool down. I didn't realise he was so upset," Elrond confessed, crouching down and running a gentle finger over a still damp cheek. "I didn't realise," he whispered.

Upon his love's touch, Legolas' tired blue eyes fluttered open to look upon Elrond's sympathetic face. The prince seemed shocked to find the Elven lord in front of him and he pulled himself up, flinching at the two sets of hands that rushed to help him. Once a wave of dizziness had passed, Legolas opened his eyes, raising them slowly to meet Elrond's where they locked. A strange, tense silence filled the room and Glorfindel found himself caught in the midst of the tension.

"Uh, excuse me, my lord. I'll leave you to it," the seneschal said awkwardly, rising from his position on the bed and giving Legolas' shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Shout if you need anything," he offered quietly to the obviously still distressed prince. Legolas nodded but didn't look up at him as if he was afraid to take his eyes off of Elrond. Taking the hint that he was no longer needed, Glorfindel retreated gratefully from the room.

Breaking the nervous silence, Elrond started, "Legolas…"

Before he could get any further though, Legolas had launched himself into Elrond's arms, sobbing. "I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I'm sorry. So sorry."

Surprised, Elrond caught him in an embrace as he pleaded in a broken voice against Elrond's shoulder. For a moment he didn't know quite what to do but then the old instincts kicked in and he started kindly hushing Legolas' pleading apologies. "Shh, you don't have to be sorry. You haven't done anything wrong," he whispered, rubbing Legolas' back in reassurance.

"I am so sorry…"

"Shh." Once the young Elf's cries had died down a little, Elrond led him towards the bed, saying, "Let's sit you down." They sat on the bed, Legolas still lying in Elrond's arms as though he was afraid to let go. "Now, what is all this about?" he asked kindly, pressing a kiss into golden hair.

"I'm sorry," Legolas whimpered.

"Is this about this morning?" A confirming silence followed. "Oh, melleth nin, tell me you're not upset about that." More tears were his only answer but once more it acted as confirmation. Sighing softly to himself, Elrond pulled Legolas closer, hands smoothing back his hair from his tear-stained face. "Legolas, I don't know what happened this morning but I am not angry at you, if that's what you're worried about. I love you, Legolas."

Continuing to shudder against him, Legolas sobbed, "I want to go home."

Elrond looked down in surprise. Had Legolas just said what he thought he'd said? Heart beating fast in his chest at the possibility that Legolas was considering leaving him, he asked in a choked voice, "To Mirkwood?" This time, the prince didn't respond at all but closed his eyes. "Legolas?"

Legolas shook his head softly against Elrond's chest and whispered, "Please just hold me."

Despite the fear in his heart, Elrond said softly, "All right."

It didn't take long for Legolas to fall into a deep sleep, still wrapped in Elrond's firm arms. Elrond found that he couldn't bring himself to release his partner. Valar, how he loved the young prince. He couldn't bear to lose him, not even to Mirkwood. Deep down, Elrond knew that Legolas would never be able to return to his true home but the fact that he desired to concerned Elrond deeply. Even before all this, Legolas had remained fiercely loyal to his father and would leave Rivendell in an instant if his king commanded it. He had ever been the dutiful son, living up to his lord's high expectations of his crown prince. Elrond himself had always believed that Thranduil had been too hard on his only child, pushing him further than a young Elf should be pushed, even one in Legolas' position. Yet Legolas had fought hard to live up to his expectations, thinking of himself, his own health and happiness, at the end of the day when all others were satisfied. For Elrond, who gave all his children relative freedom to roam as they pleased, Legolas' life under Thranduil's rule seemed to be lacking.

Yet Legolas had grown up to be a kind and understanding, dutiful son who gave all he could to the love of his homeland and its people. Elrond couldn't help but think that his now excellent qualities had very little to do with Thranduil's rigid upbringing. Father and son may have been alike in looks but in temperament they couldn't have been more different. Thranduil was impulsive and hot-headed.

With the blonde Elf still laid in his arms, Elrond carefully shuffled backwards so they were both lying more comfortably on the bed, Legolas' head pillowed against his chest. His tunic was still damp with tears but Elrond didn't care – by now his own tears were falling steadily. This beautiful young Elf who had chosen to love him was in so much pain, pain that would simply have destroyed one even slightly less strong. Yet for all his abilities as a healer, and they were great, he could do nothing to ease it. He knew Legolas wouldn't fade, he wouldn't allow himself to, he was far too stubborn and attuned to the feelings of others for that. He'd fight the horrific pain in his heart for the sake of Elrond and his children. It would always be with him though, eating away at him slowly but surely corrupting that beautiful soul.

Anger once more welled up inside him when he remembered who was the cause of that pain. If only he could get at him and shake some sense into that proud head. But Thranduil remained safely protected in his stronghold and out of Elrond's reach. Did the king even realise what he had done to his child? Did he imagine Legolas as cold-hearted about his banishment as he himself clearly was? If he did then he didn't know his son at all. Elrond wondered whether the king had even given any thought to what had become of his son. It was possible that word had already reached Mirkwood of Legolas' staying in Rivendell. If that were the case then no doubt he would be furious with Elrond. Let him come. Let him try to take Legolas away. If he had to, Elrond would put every soldier in Imladris between his love and the Mirkwood king. He would protect Legolas with his life. He had vowed to keep him safe and he would do just that, even if it meant his own ruin.

**OIOI**

**TWO WEEKS LATER…**

Once more, Legolas and Elrond were sat with their family and friends in the Halls of Fire, although this time it was early afternoon and open to the public. The atmosphere remained peaceful though; conversations were quiet and gentle. With less than a week to go before Legolas was to give birth to his children he appreciated the quiet.

Over the past weeks since his dramatic breakdown, Legolas had remained as close to Elrond as possible, which suited the Elven lord just fine. As the birth drew ever nearer he wanted to keep a very close eye on the prince, always making sure he was comfortable. A week before, Elrond had taken Legolas to the healing halls after he had confessed to being apprehensive about the birth. The patient healer had listened to Legolas' concerns in as detached and professional a manner as his closeness to his patient allowed and answered his questions honestly and calmly. Together, they had gone through the entire process and although frightened, Legolas was at least better prepared for what was to come.

He was still nervous; the whole thing was painful, hard and exhausting but at least Elrond would be with him to guide him through the process.

Elrond looked up from the book he was reading to find Legolas no longer paying attention to his own novel but instead resting his head back, staring at the ceiling, appearing to be deep in thought.

"Legolas, are you all right, melleth nin?"

The prince lowered his head and eyes to look at Elrond and he smiled gently. "I'm fine, Elrond."

"Are you sure?" Elrond asked in concern. Legolas had been quieter than usual all day.

"Yes. Just…tired."

"You're certain you feel all right?"

Legolas nodded truthfully. "Yes. I think I might go and lie down for a while though," he said, ignoring the slightly shocked looks on his friends' faces. Legolas was still touchy about being made to sleep during the daylight hours.

"An afternoon nap?" Elrond suggested kindly.

"Well, the twins are quiet. Not that I think I'll be able to sleep in the daylight," he mumbled.

Elrond couldn't help but smile at this protest despite the fact that it had been Legolas' suggestion.

"Close the drapes then," Glorfindel suggested helpfully with a wry smile.

"Thank you, Glorfindel," Legolas said in good humour as he closed his book and went to stand. Elrond was immediately beside him, taking his arm to help him up. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not. Do you want me to come with you?"

"Why? Are you also tired?"

Looking suddenly rather sheepish, Elrond answered, "No."

To soften the blow, Legolas kissed him lightly and assured, "I'm sure I'll be fine, thank you."

"All right," Elrond smiled. "Go put your feet up and rest. I'll come by and check on you later. In the meantime, do you want anything?"

"Maybe some ginger tea?"

Elrond kissed the back of Legolas' hand before releasing him. "I'll have it sent to your room."

"Thank you." Legolas offered a small smile to his friends before retreating to their bedroom where he immediately sank down onto the inviting bed. He quickly rearranged the pillows so his feet were slightly raised and he was propped up against the headboard, easing the strain on his aching back. Once he had made himself comfortable he closed his tired eyes gratefully.

Before he could properly drift off though a soft knock came from the door and forced himself into alertness. Around a yawn, he called, "Come in."

A servant stepped in and in a respectfully quiet voice explained her presence. "Your ginger Your Highness," she said, holding the mug up as if to prove it.

"Oh, yes. Thank you. Could you put it on the table please," he indicated to the bedside table with his hand and she immediately rushed forward to do as instructed, placing the mug within his reach. "Thank you," he sighed.

"Is there anything else, my lord? Perhaps you would like the drapes closed?"

Smiling softly, Legolas said, "Thank you." She immediately pulled the drapes closed, dimming the light in the chamber. Finally, Legolas dismissed her and she left with a polite bow.

Legolas sat back against his mound of pillows and sipped at his warm, soothing ginger tea until the mug was empty. For a while he sat with his eyes closed, absently caressing his stomach, for once basking in the heavy feel of his children inside him. He didn't have many days of this left and he wanted to savour the feeling while it lasted.

It wasn't long before the golden prince slipped into a deep sleep, which was how Elrond found him later when he came in to check on his love. With a tender hand, Elrond caressed the prince's cheek and Legolas stirred slightly under his gentle touch but remained in his restful state. Not wanting to disturb what little sleep the young Elf managed to get, Elrond removed his hand and carefully laid a blanket over the snoozing form. Before leaving on silent feet, Elrond placed a light kiss on Legolas' cheek.

"Ah, so you will be attending the meeting, after all," Erestor said as Elrond closed the door behind him, startling the Elven lord.

"Must you do that?" Elrond hissed at his chief advisor.

"I am sorry, my Lord."

"No, you're not." Erestor merely smiled innocently at him and Elrond sighed in defeat. "He's sound asleep so it's probably best to leave him be."

As they started walking again, the major domo asked, "So are you nervous about being an ada?"

"You are aware that I am already an ada?" Elrond laughed at the question.

"That was years ago. These will be babies."

Elrond stopped short, his hand going to his heart as he let out an exaggerated gasp of shock. "What? You're kidding. That had not even occurred to me, mellon nin."

"Really, Elrond, you are hilarious. You know what I meant. You're not as young as you once were," Erestor continued as they walked on.

"Thank you for your heartfelt encouragement."

"Well, twins, Elrond. Remember what a handful Elladan and Elrohir were when they were infants."

"Good point. Even so, I think we'll struggle through. And, of course, good old Uncle Erestor will be there to offer them guidance."

"No way. I am still recovering from teaching the first set," Erestor laughed.

"Oh but where will they be without you and Glorfindel to get them into trouble?"

"Better off," Erestor laughed. Of course he didn't mean it. Truthfully, he had loved every second of Elrond's children's infancy and was beyond proud that his involvement had helped mould them into the adults they were now. That he would soon have another set to guide into adulthood caused a tingle of excitement to race through him.

"Well, I'm sure once you see those sweet little faces, those tiny little hands and feet, fingers and toes you'll turn right back into broody old Uncle Erestor," Elrond said slinging his arm over his friend's shoulders.

"Being all-wise and all-knowing as you are, you're probably right."

After another round of fruitless meetings, Elrond and Erestor retired to the dining hall and Elrond was pleased to note that Legolas had woken and had joined them. The prince barely ate or spoke and he certainly didn't look as rested as Elrond would have expected. In fact, he looked positively exhausted and seemed to be in some discomfort. When asked if anything was wrong though, he assured his love in a genuine voice that he was fine.

"Elrond, will you and Legolas join us for a while in the Halls of Fire?" Glorfindel asked once dinner was over and they all rose to their feet.

"Yes, Ada, come. Elrohir is going to tell tales of our last expedition again." The elder twin received a sharp elbow in the ribs for this though and was silenced.

"Of course we…" He looked over when he caught sight of Legolas trying to stifle a huge yawn. With a smile, he corrected, "I think maybe it is time we retired for the evening."

Legolas shook his head. "You can go. I'll be fine."

"I want to be with you this evening."

"Then I'll go too," Legolas told him, going to join Glorfindel and the others at the door.

"The only place you're going is to bed. You look shattered." Legolas just dipped his head in embarrassment that Elrond had seen right through the façade he had been trying to keep up all evening. "We will see you in the morning." They all nodded their understanding and bid the couple a good night. "Come on, let's get you to bed," Elrond said kindly, leading Legolas slowly towards their rooms. He noted that the prince seemed more lethargic than usual tonight so he aided the pregnant Elf up the stairs with extra caution.

By the time they had entered their rooms, Legolas was walking rather gingerly and he sank gratefully down onto the bed.

"Legolas, are you feeling all right?"

"Yes," Legolas answered a little too quickly for Elrond's liking.

"You would tell me if there was something wrong, wouldn't you?" Elrond asked, crouching down in front of the prince.

"Of course. I'm just tired, that's all."

"As long as you're sure." He stood and placed a kiss on Legolas' forehead. "Get some rest." He helped Legolas quickly change into comfortable clothes, trying to push the concern that he looked so pale aside. "Climb into bed." Legolas did so and snuggled up against his love. "Wake me if you need me tonight, all right?"

"I will."

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	14. Beginnings

Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own anything Tolkien created. Nope, not a thing.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****Yes this is an m-preg, as in male pregnancy. I know anatomically it is impossible in the real world but I like the idea (mainly for the Legolas suffering that goes with it). Please, if you are dead set against this kind of thing then don't read then complain that you weren't warned.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 14 ~ Beginnings**

**OIOI**

Hours after Elrond had fallen asleep; Legolas laid awake, shifting positions every few minutes in an attempt to ease the aching that occasionally flashed across his swollen stomach. His children were especially restless tonight and his back pain had increased once more. He had a sneaking suspicion what all this meant although he hoped he was wrong. Rolling onto his side and wrapping his arm around his aching stomach, Legolas closed his eyes and tried to drift into sleep.

It wasn't to be though. He simply couldn't ignore the aching anymore. He glanced over his shoulder at Elrond but his partner remained fast asleep and blissfully unaware of his love's discomfort. Climbing as carefully as he could out of bed so as not to disturb Elrond, Legolas slipped from the bed and padded over to the bathroom where he pulled the door closed and started the bath water running. He quickly pulled his clothes off, noticing the dark bruise that was beginning to form in the centre of the bump. From his readings and Elrond's lessons, Legolas knew this meant that his labour was indeed drawing near. He swallowed the lump of fear in his throat, telling himself to remain calm, that there was plenty of time before the actual birth. The labour alone would take hours.

He carefully climbed into the bath and slid down into the soothing water with a sigh of relief as the caressing warmth soothed away his aches. He ran the warm flannel over the swelling, pleased that it eased the pain a little. Knowing this would be a long process; he rested his head back and closed his eyes. He wished he felt more rested as he was certain he wouldn't be getting much sleep over the next couple of days.

The pain continued to wash over him lightly for the next couple of hours, steadily aching although not really enough for him to be too concerned about.

That very suddenly changed when a stab of red hot agony swept over him, catching him completely off guard. He sat up straight in the water so fast that it splashed over the sides; his hands gripped tightly to the edges and bit his lip to keep from crying out. As quickly as it came, the pain was gone again, leaving a dull throbbing in its wake. Soon he settled down again and leaned back in the water, feeling the gentle lapping around him to serve as a distraction.

After another hour and another brief attack of the intense pain, Legolas finally admitted to himself that he could no longer do this alone. Once he had his breathing back under control, Legolas sat back once more. He decided it was time to push aside his fear and call for Elrond.

Still unaware of the empty place beside him, Elrond was woken by a gentle calling of his name. He rolled over in bed and stretched out his hand to get to his partner. "Legolas?" he asked sleepily when he realised the bed was empty. Raising his head and opening his eyes, Elrond looked around the room. "Legolas?"

"Elrond," Legolas' voice called again, clearly from the bathroom. "Elrond, help."

Elrond got up and immediately went into the bathroom, his heart pounding hard against his chest in fear for his love. As he burst into the bathroom, Elrond half expected to find the young Elf unable to move on the floor or sitting in front of the basin vomiting, so a sigh of relief escaped him when he saw that the only things on the floor were Legolas' clothes.

He looked over to the tub and breathlessly said, "Oh, thank the Valar, I thought something was wrong. You've picked a rather strange time to take a bath," he grinned.

"Elrond…"

"Why did you shout? You scared me half to death."

"Elrond, I think…"

For the first time taking in the strangeness of this, Elrond frowned, "What is wrong?"

"It's…" Legolas started but was abruptly cut off by another wave of pain and he gasped harshly, his hands once more gripping the sides of the bath.

Understanding hit Elrond suddenly and for a minute he was too shocked to do anything but stare. Only Legolas' calling his name snapped him from his stupor and he shook his head to clear it and dashed forwards, crouching beside the bath, wide-eyed.

"It's time?" Legolas nodded vigorously in response, biting his lip to keep from groaning. "Are you sure?"

"Fairly sure," Legolas snapped irritably although he relaxed again when the cruel aching dimmed a little.

Worried, frantic Elrond turned into healer Elrond and he calmly took Legolas' wrist to count his pulse. Naturally, it was fast but within acceptable levels.

"How long since it started?"

"Just before we went to bed, I think," Legolas told him, lying back again, knowing he had some time before the next 'contraction' hit.

"Legolas, that was nearly six hours ago!" Elrond exclaimed, quickly doing the calculation in his head. "Why didn't you say something?"

"It didn't hurt too much at first. I thought a warm bath would help and it has."

"But the pain has increased?"

"Yes but only slightly."

"And apart from that how are you feeling?"

Legolas smiled faintly. "A little nauseous but I think that is just because I'm nervous."

"You're going to be fine, I promise. We should get you to the healing halls though."

"I'm all right here," Legolas protested.

"Legolas, you are in labour. In a few hours you will be giving birth to your babies; we have to get you to the…"

"I'm fine here. I feel fine."

"For now. But soon the contractions are going to get more intense and more painful. I want to get you to the healing halls now rather than wait and have to struggle along in a lot of pain later. Please, do this for me. I would feel better knowing you are safe and comfortable. If it would make you feel better you can get into a bath once we're there."

"All right," Legolas agreed, sitting up and absently rubbing his aching stomach.

Elrond carefully helped him stand up and climb out of the bath. Although the Elven lord tried to be quick in drying Legolas off and gentle wrapping him in a dressing gown, Legolas moved slowly, all his panic having drained away for the time being. He smiled inwardly at Elrond's rush and let him do all the work as it seemed he needed to be moving to calm his nerves.

Elrond was knelt in front of Legolas, helping him into his slippers when the pregnant Elf gasped suddenly, his hand gripping Elrond's shoulder to steady himself as another contraction hit. The pain passed quickly enough and Legolas stood up straight, gaining control of his breathing. Elrond stood with him but kept ahold of his arm just in case he needed the support still. Strangely, Legolas looked almost serene now the major pain had passed.

"Do you want to sit down for a minute?" Elrond asked in concern.

"No, I'm all right," Legolas smiled.

"Are you sure?" Legolas nodded, so Elrond continued, "All right then, let's go." He took Legolas' hand and practically ran to the door, dragging Legolas behind him.

"Uh, Elrond?"

The healer halted suddenly and spun to face Legolas, asking, "Where is the pain? Do you need to lie down?"

Smiling faintly at his love's fussing, Legolas answered, "No, I'm fine, but you're going to need to get dressed unless you wish to give the guards and healers a shock."

Elrond looked down to find that he was dressed only in one of Legolas' large pregnancy shirts – they were extremely comfortable – and it left very little to the imagination. He felt a slight blush creep over his face and grinned sheepishly at himself. "Right. You sit down here and I'll go change into something more appropriate," he said as he eased Legolas down onto the sofa. He returned to the bedroom and changed into a comfortable shirt and pair of trousers, knowing he had a long day ahead of him.

Whilst away from Legolas' keen eyes he took the opportunity to compose himself. Once he felt ready, he returned to Legolas, just about remembering to retrieve the bag they had prepared for this event, containing a spare set of clothes for Legolas as well as two sets of tiny baby clothes for the children.

When he saw Legolas still sitting in the chair with a contented look on his face, he shook his head in wonder. "All right, what's your secret? How on earth are you managing to remain so calm?"

Legolas looked up at him and smiled softly. "It doesn't hurt too much at the moment. I figured there would be plenty of time for me to panic later on."

As he helped Legolas off the sofa, Elrond chuckled, "I'm supposed to be saying that to you, not the other way around."

"Well, I'm relying on you being as calm as I am right now later on when I'm falling to pieces."

Elrond kissed him softly on the lips. "It's a deal, melleth nin. Come on, let's get you settled into the healing halls." He opened the door and smiled at the two guards on duty. "One of you please wake Lord Glorfindel and tell him to come to the healing halls immediately."

Realising what this meant, one of them rushed off to do as bidden and the couple made their way down the corridor.

Their progress was slow and hindered by another sharp pain in Legolas' stomach. One of his hands shot out to steady himself against the wall while the other was pressed against his stomach as he bent forward slightly gasping in pain. Elrond's hands easily steadied him until the pain had eased and he was able to stand up straight.

Once his breathing had calmed a little, Elrond assured, "It's not far to the healing halls, my love."

"I think…I can walk now," Legolas said a little shakily.

Elrond just nodded and they continued on their way slowly and steadily down the corridors with Elrond's arm poised behind Legolas' back in case he needed the extra support again. Luckily, they only had to stop once more, this time for Glorfindel, who raced around the corner so fast he nearly bowled them over.

"Good evening, Captain. How are you?" Elrond asked brightly as Glorfindel drew in deep breaths, clearly having run all the way from his rooms. He had obviously dressed rather hastily as his over-robe was hanging open and his hair was unbrushed.

"Oh, thank the Valar, I thought I was too late," Glorfindel gasped.

"You have plenty of time yet, Glorfindel, don't worry."

"All right." Glorfindel seemed to pull himself together within seconds and he soon looked the respectable Elda he was rather than a ruffled Elf who had been hurriedly dragged out of bed in the middle of the night. "What do you need me to do?"

"Go ahead and inform the healers that it is time."

"Right."

"Then wake Erestor, let him know what's happening and tell him to keep the healing hall corridor clear throughout the day. He will need to look after the office for the next few…"

"That's all under control, sir."

"Good. Then you can come back and keep us company for a while."

"It would be my pleasure," Glorfindel smiled, pleased at being asked.

A weak voice spoke up before they could continue any further. "I need to sit down," he said vaguely.

Elrond attention was once more fixed on Legolas, who seemed to have paled considerably during their brief pause. "All right, melleth nin. Let's get you to the halls. Come on."

Before they stepped away, Glorfindel reached for the bag on Elrond's shoulder. "Let me take that for you," he offered, sliding the strap down Elrond's arm.

"Thank you, Glorfindel," Elrond said as they started walking again. "We'll see you soon."

As Glorfindel rushed off ahead of them, Legolas and Elrond continued at a more sedate pace through the corridors. Legolas leaned slightly against his partner, the aching growing in his back now as well.

"Nearly there," Elrond assured gently and indeed it only took them another minute to reach the healing halls. Clearly, Glorfindel had been and gone as the select group of senior Imladrian healers were already running about the place, frantically preparing everything.

They reached the bed just as another contraction hit and Legolas sank down onto the soft sheets with a slight hiss of pain. Although still fairly short, Legolas couldn't help but think that the pains were getting stronger each time.

"I shouldn't…have left the bathroom," he sighed once the pain had decreased again.

"Would you like me to run you a bath?" Elrond asked, running his hand down Legolas' arm soothingly.

Legolas shook his head though. "No, thank you. I think I just want to lie down for a minute if that's all right."

"Of course. You do whatever you need in order to be comfortable, melleth nin," Elrond smiled, helping him lie back against the pillows. Legolas relaxed back with a sigh, feeling a lot better for being off his feet. "Remember that if you feel tired you can sleep if you want. It will help you build up some strength for later and you might not get a chance once the pains get worse." Legolas nodded gratefully. "Are you hungry? Can I send for something to eat?"

Legolas smiled; they had been through this in their coaching. It was important that he eat at this stage despite the increasing ache in his belly. And he actually did feel a little peckish. "Hon…"

"Honey bread," Elrond laughed.

"Please." Elrond gestured behind him for the healer nearest to bring the food. He sat down on the bed next to his love and Legolas immediately moved towards him so he pulled the prince into his arms and held him close as they laid back down. As he waved away the healers who weren't yet needed, he noticed Legolas yawn against him and smiled. "Close your eyes for a while, melleth nin. I'll be right here."

Legolas nodded gently, letting his tired eyes flutter closed once he was comfortable enough. He knew that he was still in the very early stages of labour and the lack of constant pain proved the perfect opportunity to rest. He seemed suddenly completely drained and it took only a minute for him to drift off into a light sleep whilst Elrond held him tightly.

Although a couple of minutes later, Glorfindel returned, Legolas just shifted in Elrond's arms, let out a sigh of exhaustion, placed his hand on his stomach and returned to his sleep. Glorfindel quietly stepped in, a frown on his forehead at the sight. He had expected to come in to shouting, screams and lots of blood not a heart-warmingly peaceful scene.

"He's asleep?" Glorfindel whispered when Elrond looked up and smiled at him. Elrond nodded with a small smile down at the prince. "Is that normal?"

"There's no reason he needs to be awake right now. If he can sleep through some of the pain it's good," Elrond answered in a low voice, fingering a lock of blonde hair that lay across his chest. "I don't think it will last much longer though." Glorfindel nodded and averted his eyes as the thought of this peace being shattered troubled him. "How is Erestor?"

"Running about the place like a madman but he's got everything sorted for the next few days. If I didn't know better, I'd say he was excited about the prospect of new-born babies," Glorfindel smiled wryly and Elrond laughed softly at the thought. "Anyway, everything is under control in Rivendell so you don't have to worry about a thing."

"Thank you, Glorfindel. I appreciate it."

"You are most welcome." Glorfindel suddenly looked at a loss, glancing nervously about the healing hall. "So, what should I do now?"

"Now we just wait."

Glorfindel was always perfect in a battle situation but given a task where he had to just wait during a personal situation he tended to get restless. Just minutes after sitting down, he started drumming his long fingers against the arm of his chair, then started tapping his foot impatiently. Silence descended, only making the tension worse.

Finally, Glorfindel cracked and said, "Give me something to do, Elrond, please."

"Like what? You can't hurry this along."

"Let me get some water for Legolas."

"We have water in the healing halls."

"Extra blankets?"

"Again, this is a healing hall, mellon nin," Elrond smiled kindly so Glorfindel sat back in his chair and started fidgeting again. After a while longer, Elrond took pity on his seneschal and suggested, "You could bring me some tea."

"Tea? You want tea?" Glorfindel asked hopefully and Elrond nodded. "Tea. I'll get you tea. Will Legolas want some?"

"Maybe when he wakes."

Glorfindel shrugged as he stood up. "Well, I can go out later and get more if he wants a mug." He seemed so pleased to be actively doing something that Elrond had to approve. With that, Glorfindel rushed from the room to complete his mission.

Unfortunately for him, it didn't take long at all to make the tea and then he was back to sitting uncomfortably. "Elrond…"

"Why don't you go to your office, catch up on some work? I can send for you when you're needed again."

"Thank you, my lord," Glorfindel said, relieved beyond belief to be dismissed.

"See you later," Elrond smiled understandingly as Glorfindel all but ran out of the door.

Legolas slept for another hour or so before he shifted in Elrond's arms and let out a low groan of pain, moving his hand to his stomach, which was obviously causing him pain again. At first, he seemed to try to lull himself back into painless sleep but it didn't seem to be working too well so Elrond loosened his grip a little so as not to crowd the pregnant Elf and sure enough, blue eyes fluttered open, looking decidedly dazed.

"How are you feeling?" Elrond asked after a moment of allowing Legolas to reorient himself.

Another low moan escaped him and answered, "Sick."

"You're nauseous?" Legolas nodded against his chest, swallowing thickly. "It shouldn't last long, melleth nin. Apart from that, how are you?"

"All right. How long was I asleep?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"Only a couple of hours." Legolas nodded, seemingly untroubled by this. "Are you comfortable? Do you want to get up and walk around for a minute? Maybe stretch your legs?"

"Yes, please."

Elrond helped him to his feet, waiting whilst he regained his balance. After taking a leisurely stroll around the room, Legolas paused, putting his hand against his stomach.

"Contraction?" Elrond asked, holding Legolas' arm to support him and Legolas nodded, biting his lip at the pain. "Come and sit down." He led Legolas toward the chair by the window and Legolas carefully sank down. The pain was growing in intensity and duration; how it had increased so much in such a short sleep, he didn't know. Another moan escaped him and leaned back against Elrond, closing his eyes. Elrond's hands worked soothingly up and down his arms, as if trying to distract him and the prince was extremely grateful for it. This pain lasted longer than the others and he was relieved when it finally faded. He actually sat back in the chair with a deep breath, pleased to realise that Elrond's arm was still around him. "All right now?"

"Yes." They sat quietly for a minute until Legolas opened his eyes urgently, almost panicked. Rather thickly, he said, "I think I'm going to be sick." He was barely past the second word before Elrond was dashing to the table where a basin had been placed for the prince's use. Thankfully, it was held before the pregnant Elf just as he brought up what food he had recently eaten. The healers were all prepared for this, having read up on male pregnancies at Elrond's insistence. Only the best would be allowed to attend the prince during the birth.

Mercifully, the sickness passed quickly and Legolas was able to relax back again. For a while, he sat quietly in the chair, only experiencing two more contractions, although they were certainly more painful than before and he was especially glad his partner was there with him. With Elrond by his side, this didn't seem quite so overwhelming.

After another painful episode, Elrond carefully lifted the prince's shirt to check that everything was all right and was pleased to see the dark bruise spreading just as it was supposed to.

"You're doing fine," Elrond reassured, lowering the shirt back down.

"Can I have some water?" Legolas asked drowsily. Valar, he was so tired already and they were only a few hours in.

"Of course." Elrond got up and retrieved a glass of cool water, which the younger Elf downed gratefully. Elrond took the empty glass from Legolas then smoothed blonde hair back when the prince closed his eyes. "Are you tired, melleth nin?" Legolas nodded, leaning into the kind touch. "Then rest for a while." He placed a blanket over Legolas to keep him warm and returned to his soothing.

**OIOI**

By the time Glorfindel returned to the healing halls, Legolas' rest – what little of it there had been - had been well and truly disturbed and he was pacing around the room, his hands pressed against his stomach, appearing to be in deep concentration. Glorfindel merely stepped around him and went to Elrond, who was watching his love from the seat by the window.

"How is he?" the seneschal asked in a quiet voice.

"In pain," Elrond told him simply, not looking away from the prince.

"Bad?"

"Not as bad as it will be. But yes."

"Oh. Is there anything I can do?"

"I don't think so, mellon nin. Why don't you ask Legolas?"

The Elda nodded and called over, "Legolas, is there anything I can do to help you?" Blue eyes briefly flicked up to meet his, the pacing not so much as interrupted as he released his breath slowly and shook his head. "All right," Glorfindel said, rather stunned by the lack of reaction. Usually, Legolas was at least polite and diplomatic when answering, even when he was clearly tired or in pain; to see him otherwise was disturbing to say the least. "Is he…?"

"He's fine."

"Should he be pacing like that? I mean, I thought he should be laid down," Glorfindel said in a soft voice.

Elrond smiled slightly at this. "If pacing takes his mind off it then he can walk around all he wants. He can do whatever he likes right now."

"He just looks…"

"It is a long process, mellon nin, and it hurts. A lot. He'll be fine." A pause in Legolas' pacing made Elrond sit up a little straighter, preparing himself for whatever might happen as Legolas rode out a stronger pain but soon the blonde Elf started walking again. Immediately, Elrond relaxed back again. "He'll be fine," he repeated, this time trying to convince himself rather than his old friend.

Somehow, watching Legolas pace was unnerving and Glorfindel found himself wanting to join in to soothe himself. Apparently, Elrond sensed his restlessness and waved him over. "Why don't you get us all some lunch?" He stood from the chair and approached the prince but didn't disturb his pacing. "Legolas, it is nearly midday, do you want something to eat?"

"What?" Legolas snapped, looking up in surprise and annoyance at being interrupted.

Remaining calm, Elrond asked, "Do you feel up to eating something? Some fruit or honey bread maybe? Anything you want."

"Whatever," Legolas answered flatly.

"Just bring him something light," Elrond told Glorfindel. "And some ginger tea."

"I don't want tea," Legolas interrupted.

"You have to drink something, melleth nin."

"I'm not thirsty."

"If you don't drink you'll become dehydrated," Elrond told him sternly, back in healer mode again.

"Fine," Legolas sighed before resuming his pacing again, now ignoring both senior Elves.

"Go. We'll be fine," Elrond told his seneschal and the Elda eagerly left to get their meals, glad to get away from the tension for a while. After the door closed, Elrond stepped up to the blonde Elf and gently snagged Legolas' arm to stop him pacing. Legolas looked up sharply at the interruption but Elrond was unmoved. "Come with me," he said, pulling lightly so he led Legolas towards the bathroom.

"What for?"

"You have to go to the bathroom," Elrond stated without hesitation.

"No I don't."

"Yes you do. You have had three glasses of water and you haven't been all day," the healer informed him as they stepped into the next room.

"How do you know?" Legolas demanded, slightly horrified at the candour.

"I have been watching you. You must be getting uncomfortable by now."

"Elrond, I am a full grown Elf, I know when I have to go to the bathroom. I am not a child; you don't need to mother me."

Unfazed by the harsh words, Elrond told him, "Listen to me, you're pouring all your concentration into the labour, which is understandable, but you can't ignore your body's other needs. If you can't concentrate on two things at once then at least I can," Elrond told him in a firm voice. "Now, the babies are going to start moving more soon. That will only mean that you will be more likely to embarrass yourself in front of Glorfindel. It doesn't matter to me but I know your pride wouldn't allow it." Legolas opened his mouth to protest, although his pale cheeks blushed slightly, but Elrond continued, not letting him speak. "A full bladder will only slow your labour and make you more uncomfortable and you don't need any more discomfort. You'll be drinking plenty of fluid to prevent dehydration and you will be coming in here to relieve yourself every hour in between contractions. Understand?"

Secretly pleased that Elrond had once again taken control, Legolas said softly, "Yes."

"Good. Now, do I have to stand here and watch you or…"

"No."

"I'll be outside if you need anything." Legolas shot him a glare but didn't protest. Elrond stepped back into the bedroom, closing the door to give his love some privacy.

Busying himself by smoothing out the bed sheets, Elrond waited for Legolas to finish. Glorfindel entered first though, carrying a tray of food. He placed it on the table and looked around with a frown. "Where is Legolas?"

"Bathroom," Elrond answered vaguely, picking up the sandwich Glorfindel had brought for him. He hadn't realised he was so hungry until now when he saw the food.

"Is he…all right?"

"Hmm?"

"Legolas; is he all right in there?"

"I think so. Why?"

"No reason. I just…Should he be alone?"

"Glorfindel, he's been up since yesterday evening and has drunk several glasses of water and the labour's going to last many more hours. Soon-to-be parents have needs too. What did you expect him to do?" Elrond chuckled.

"I…I didn't…"

"Just calm down. Legolas is fine. This is the longest but least dangerous part."

"But you are keeping an eye on him?" Glorfindel asked nervously.

"A close eye, mellon nin," Elrond laughed. "Don't worry so much. The moment things get bad, I will let you know and we can panic together but right now Legolas needs you to calm down a bit; you're making him nervous."

"Right. Sorry."

Before Elrond could assure him that it was fine, the bathroom door opened. "Satisfied?" Legolas asked in exasperation although he blushed slightly when he noticed Glorfindel back in the room.

"Very," Elrond smiled brightly. "Do you feel better?"

Almost begrudgingly, the prince mumbled, "Yes."

"Good. Come and eat a little something." Legolas looked reluctant, so Elrond continued, "Just nibble at some fruit. You can stay standing if you like." On his way past the table, the prince picked up a few pieces of apple and nibbled on them. How he managed to eat them he didn't know as the pain was growing by the second, almost unbearably so. Even the gentle aching was spreading around his torso, pounding mercilessly. He had somehow managed to keep from voicing his pain, not wanting to upset Elrond or alarm Glorfindel, who frankly looked increasingly skittish. How much longer he could keep it up though, he wasn't sure.

After lunch, Glorfindel and Elrond sat by the window, talking quietly so as not to disturb the prince. Despite his apparent lack of attention towards Legolas, Glorfindel knew very well that Elrond was entirely focused on his love's well-being.

When Legolas stopped suddenly and leaned against the bedpost, Elrond was up and by his side. "Legolas, are you all right?" he asked quickly, a little surprised when the pregnant Elf leaned on him. Up close, Elrond could almost feel Legolas' pain coming off him in waves. "Tell me what you need, my love," he encouraged.

"Sit," Legolas mumbled in a low voice.

"You want to sit down?" The young Elf nodded. "All right, come sit on the bed." He led Legolas towards the bed, noting how slow his movements were. They hadn't taken two steps before Legolas stopped again, burying his face in Elrond's shoulder to disguise a whimper. Holding Legolas tightly, Elrond soothed him, holding up a hand to stop Glorfindel approaching. "It's all right to voice your pain if you need to, melleth nin. Don't keep silent for our sakes." His reassurance was answered by a low, deep groan of pain that was muffled by Elrond's robes. He didn't want to worry anyone, but, Valar, it hurt so much. "Come and lie down for a minute, give your feet a rest," Elrond encouraged kindly, walking to the bed.

Gratefully sinking down, Legolas sighed and closed his eyes. "Tell me what you need."

Legolas whispered something to his partner that Glorfindel couldn't hear, as if he was embarrassed by his request. "I can do that," Elrond smiled kindly, taking Legolas into his arms, holding him close and starting to gently rock him back and forth. The rhythmic motion was extremely soothing and Legolas felt himself relaxing slightly, especially when a soft Imladrian tune started to spill effortlessly from his lips.

Glorfindel sat quietly, his eyes respectfully averted from what he considered to be a private moment between the two companions. A low moan issued from the bed and Glorfindel heard the prince shifting on the sheets; even the rocking was now failing to do its job as the pain clearly escalated. Soon, Elrond's singing also stopped when he realised it wasn't working any longer.

"Do you want to walk around again?" Elrond asked the Elf in his arms.

"No," Legolas breathed out but then seemed to change his mind. "Yes."

"Glorfindel, can you help us please?"

"Of course, my lord." The seneschal walked over and held out his hand for Legolas to take. He almost winced when he felt how cold the pale hand was, not to mention how hard the grip was. Of course, he didn't mention this to either other Elf but helped pull Legolas up, although he paused for a moment when Legolas openly winced.

When he was on his feet again, Legolas kept hold of both Glorfindel's and Elrond's hands as he walked around, his steps more faltering than they had been before.

Out of the blue, he declared softly, "I have to use the bathroom."

"All right, melleth nin," Elrond said kindly as they led him slowly into the next room. "Will you be all right on your own?" Legolas nodded so Glorfindel stepped out, closely followed by the Elven lord.

Glorfindel had just opened his mouth to speak when a shout came from the bathroom.

"Elrond, help!"

In all his years serving alongside his old friend and commander, Glorfindel had never seen Elrond move so fast before. He burst into the bathroom with Glorfindel at his side to find Legolas standing braced against the sink, blood covering his shirt and on his fingers, which had smeared over the white basin. Panic coursed through Glorfindel and he prepared to call for the healers. Only Elrond's apparent calm stopped him from running out of the room. The Elven lord walked over to Legolas and pulled him gently upright, lifting his shirt to find blood seeping out of a small wound over the dark bruise that had formed over his massively swollen abdomen.

"It's all right, melleth nin," Elrond soothed, noting the fear on Legolas' face at this new development despite the fact that it had been expected. "Glorfindel, I need a clean towel." When he didn't hear his friend move, Elrond prompted, "Glorfindel," and looked over his shoulder, taking note of the seneschal's rather sickly continence. "Glorfindel, are you all right?"

"What? Yes, I'm all right. Sorry. Towels."

"It's all right, Legolas. This is just the next stage of your labour. It's normal," Elrond assured the prince who was obviously scared despite having been taken through all this. Thankfully, Glorfindel returned quickly and handed Elrond a clean towel. Lifting Legolas' shirt again, he gently pressed the towel to Legolas' stomach so it wiped the blood away. Although it looked to be a lot, there really wasn't too much blood but he kept the towel over it until it had stopped completely. "There. You're all right now," he told the young Elf as he placed the bloodied towel aside out of the way.

"It hurts," Legolas admitted, his voice strained.

"I know it does, my love. I know."

"Is it…bad?" Glorfindel asked from where he was standing in the doorway.

"No, he's fine. It is his body beginning to make way for the babies to be born."

"So, the bleeding is…"

"A normal part of the process. Just take deep breaths and calm yourself, Glorfindel. I can't have two patients on my hands today."

"Right. You don't have to worry about me."

"Good. Why don't you go and put some clean sheets on the bed while Legolas gets changed and we finish up in here?"

"Yes, sir." The seneschal knew when he was being dismissed even if it was extremely subtle so he stepped back out of the room and made sure the room was tidy and comfortable for the prince.

When they were all alone, Elrond carefully helped Legolas out of his bloody shirt and into a large, loose white shirt, which wouldn't irritate the wound. Elrond knew that from now on he had to become more active in the labour and that Legolas would need him far more. It was about to get a lot harder; the pain was soon going to move from uncomfortable to downright excruciating. Legolas was going to steadily lose more blood, making him weaker and then would come the actual birth. Elrond felt nerves flutter in his stomach at what lay ahead but he pushed it aside and focused on Legolas instead.

Once Legolas had taken care of his own needs, they returned to the bedroom where Glorfindel was waiting for them, looking considerably calmer than he had before.

"Do you want to stand on the balcony for a minute, get some fresh air?" Elrond suggested.

Legolas shook his head. "I think I want to lie down for a while."

"All right. Are you feeling nauseous again?" Elrond asked as they walked towards the bed, noticing his even paler face. His suspicions were confirmed with a nod. "Glorfindel, bring over a basin please."

They soon had Legolas settled on his side, gripping the basin tightly to him when he felt the nausea rolling over him. He kept his eyes closed and tried to put the pain from his mind, instead concentrating on the feeling of Elrond's thumb rubbing over the back of his hand. Trying to remain calm was a chore in itself and he knew he couldn't remain in this position much longer; it was agony on his back. If only he could have drifted off to sleep then he could have escaped the pain as well as resting his already shattered body. No sooner had he calmed enough to invite rest though, another contraction hit, forcing him cruelly back into the waking world.

When he couldn't take sitting still any longer he opened his eyes and struggled up, grateful for the two sets of hands that immediately rushed to help him. He perched on the edge of the bed, gently rocking himself, no longer caring how he looked in front of Glorfindel. Elrond's hands moved to his back and carefully massaged with practised ease, and mercifully, the terrible aching began to ease slightly.

"Is that better?" Elrond asked. Legolas nodded, supressing a whimper of relief. Soon, the contraction, the most painful yet, subsided and he relaxed a little. "Do you want to sip some water, Legolas?" Elrond asked from behind him and he nodded again, deciding not to waste his valuable energy on unnecessary words. "Glorfindel," Elrond prompted but the seneschal had already seen to it and helped the prince steady the glass – his hands were shaking too much to hold it by himself.

His refreshing drink was disturbed when a sharp pain made him cry out, much to Glorfindel's alarm. Elrond's hands calmly slid to Legolas' arms, bracing him as he rode out the pain.

"All right, Legolas. Just breathe through it," he instructed. "It'll pass in a moment." Sure enough, a second or two later, Legolas relaxed beneath his hands and leaned back. Elrond immediately changed position so Legolas could lay back, propped up against him. "Try to steady your breathing," he said softly, realising how fast it was. It quickly calmed under Elrond's calm murmurings.

"Elrond," Legolas moaned, resting his head back against the strong shoulder.

"I'm here."

"Get up…"

"You want to stand?" Legolas nodded so Glorfindel took his hands and helped him to his feet with Elrond's help. This time he didn't walk though, just stood between Glorfindel and Elrond, then stepped over to the window, closely followed by his two shadows. "Stay here a minute, will you?" Elrond said softly to Glorfindel who nodded. "Legolas, I'll be back in a minute," he told Legolas.

Panicked, Legolas spun to face him, grabbing his hand and holding on for dear life. "No. Where are you going?"

"Just to the bathroom. Glorfindel is still here with you."

"No, don't go."

"I'm afraid I have to, Legolas," Elrond quirked a smile at him.

"Don't leave me, please," Legolas pleaded desperately.

"You'll be fine. Look, I'll only be through there," he said, pointing to the bathroom door, which stood open. "I'll be right back. I can hear everything that's going on through the door so if you need me, all you have to do is shout, all right?" Legolas nodded meekly. This was ridiculous; he was a grown Elf, not a child afraid of monsters and if Elrond had to go he had to go, there was no preventing it but, as much as he hated to admit it, he was scared. "I'll be right back," Elrond promised again.

"Be quick," Legolas demanded.

With a small smile of understanding, Elrond assured, "I will." He went to move away while he had the chance but was jerked back, realising Legolas still had a vice-like grip on his hand. "I'm afraid I'm going to need my hand back, melleth," he quipped, trying their hands apart. "Here, hold onto Glorfindel." He pushed Glorfindel forward and the seneschal offered his own hand, which Legolas took after only a moment of hesitation.

It was with relief that Elrond closed the bathroom door. He wanted to stay with Legolas but he knew his own comfort and needs couldn't be ignored either. They still had a long time to go and he needed to be focused not distracted by his body screaming at him to pay it some attention.

He was true to his word and returned quickly, taking a second to wash his face before he left.

In the bedroom, Legolas was in the midst of another contraction. He was knelt on the armchair, gripping the edges hard whilst Glorfindel's hands were on his back ensuring his safety. Given his previous nervousness, Glorfindel seemed to be fully in control of the situation. Kind words poured from his lips as Legolas rode out the agony that ripped through him. He didn't even pay any attention to the blood that was seeping from the forming birth canal that was starting to stain the prince's shirt again. He was calm and attentive; exactly what Legolas needed right then.

Deciding not to complicate matters, Elrond stayed back, giving them some space until he saw the tension ease in Legolas' shoulders, indicating the pain had passed. He stepped forward with another clean towel and placed his hand on Legolas' shoulder to announce his presence.

"Here," he said softly, placing the towel against Legolas' stomach whilst wiping away the blood that had transferred to the chair.

Legolas looked down at what he was doing. "Sorry," he whispered when he realised he had ruined the chair.

"Shh, it doesn't matter," Elrond told him kindly, still holding the cloth against Legolas' stomach until the bleeding eased. The hole through which the babies would be born would only grow a little but a lot of blood would be lost steadily over the course of the labour. Very much like the process the maidens went through, Legolas' anatomically ill-equipped body would create itself a brand new opening through which the baby could be pushed. The beginning of labour in male birth started when the initial bruising started indicating the internal preparations were being made, which was what Legolas had had to suffer through last night. He was currently in the second and longest phase where the outwards preparations began. Literally, slowly but surely, he was being torn open to allow access through the birth canal. Each contraction occurred when the opening grew a tiny bit more and, as the action suggested – being slowly ripped apart – it hurt a lot. And on top of that, the internal movements continued, inducing the underlying ache. The children would also start becoming restless, making the whole process even more uncomfortable.

With so many changes, so much blood loss and so much strain combined with agonising pain, male births could be extremely dangerous. Elrond knew that the biggest problem would be shock. At the moment though, Elrond was confident that everything was on track and Legolas was doing well.

Surprisingly, Legolas seemed comfortable, perched in his odd position so Elrond was quite happy having him kneel on the chair.

"I feel sick," Legolas choked out, leaning forward slightly.

"Glorfindel," Elrond said shortly but the Elda had already dashed to get the basin from the table. In a flash, it was in front of Legolas, held in a steady, unwavering hand as the blonde Elf vomited. Elrond pulled Legolas' hair back over his shoulders with his free hand, the other still pressed against his stomach.

Legolas' nausea quickly calmed and he nodded that his queasiness was passed and the basin was promptly removed. Elrond gently stroked Legolas' forehead, pushing sweat soaked blonde hair behind his ears.

"It's all right, Legolas. It's all right."

Another contraction hit him but it didn't seem as bad this time. He was certain that it was only a brief reprieve but all the same he was grateful.

"Legolas, when you feel you're ready, I need you to come and lie down on the bed so I can check your progress. Only when you feel ready, though. Don't push yourself."

Legolas nodded, trying to steady his breathing. "Elrond," he said croakily after a minute and gestured for the healer to come closer.

"What is it?"

Legolas whispered something into Elrond's ear and Glorfindel looked away discreetly, knowing this was a private thing between them. When Legolas pulled back there was a flush of embarrassment on his face but Elrond didn't look at all fazed by whatever it was.

"All right, sweetheart. We'll go and sort you out, don't worry." Legolas nodded shyly, avoiding both Elrond's and Glorfindel's eyes. "Come down from there." With a nod from Elrond to the seneschal, they helped Legolas back down from the chair and back onto his feet. They walked across the room but when they reached the bathroom door, Elrond said to the captain, "Wait out here and give us some privacy."

"Of course," Glorfindel said, letting go of the prince then stepping back when Elrond closed the door on him.

Once they were alone, Elrond took Legolas to the sink. "Let's get you changed."

"I'm sorry, Elrond," Legolas said as he slid down his wet trousers. "I didn't realise…"

Elrond shook his head with a reassuring smile. "It doesn't matter. It's easily sorted. You just concentrate on what you're doing and let me worry about everything else, all right, sweetheart," Elrond said tenderly.

Gently, Elrond cleaned the prince up and helped him on with a clean pair of trousers. "Thank you. You won't tell…"

"There's no reason he needs to know."

Before Legolas could thank him again he nearly doubled over in pain. Another groan escaped him and he was suddenly immensely grateful for Elrond's hands holding him up. He closed his eyes and buried his face in Elrond's robes. When it passed again, he leaned against Elrond with a heavy sigh.

"Are you tired, melleth nin?" Legolas nodded so Elrond continued, "Then come and lie down. Maybe you could close your eyes for a while." He led the blonde back into the next room and they went to the bed and Legolas gratefully laid down.

When Elrond went to lift Legolas' shirt, Glorfindel asked, "Do you mind me being here?"

As Elrond smiled at his gallantry, Legolas shook his head. Right then he couldn't care less. He was in too much pain and was too tired to care either way. He carefully checked the canal, satisfied that it was fine. "You're doing well, Legolas. You have a way to go yet but you're doing well," Elrond assured, sympathy washing over him at the 'way to go' comment, which Legolas winced at and sighed heavily. "Try to rest, my love. Sleep if you can." Elrond laid a blanket over Legolas, making sure he was comfortable before taking his hand and stroking his thumb across the back of his hand, knowing it distracted him somewhat. Rather incredibly, it helped and Legolas soon drifted into sleep for a while. Night had started to descend already so Elrond asked in a whisper for Glorfindel to get them all some food and check in with Erestor while he was at it.

**To Be Continued…**


	15. Good Things

Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own anything Tolkien created. Nope, not a thing.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****Yes this is an m-preg, as in male pregnancy. I know anatomically it is impossible in the real world but I like the idea (mainly for the Legolas suffering that goes with it). Please, if you are dead set against this kind of thing then don't read then complain that you weren't warned.**

**OIOI**

**Thank you for all your reviews. I appreciate them immensely.**

**Enjoy the chapter.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 15 ~ Good Things…**

**OIOI**

Apart from moaning occasionally in his sleep, Legolas remained relatively peaceful, shifting every now and then as if he were about to wake but Elrond managed to shush him each time.

A couple of hours later, the door opened to reveal Elladan peeking around. "Ada?"

Elrond shushed him, pressing a finger to his lips to indicate quiet.

Continuing in a whisper, the elder twin asked, "Can we come in?"

Elrond nodded and waved them in.

Briefly Elladan disappeared, clearly telling his siblings to be quiet. They all filed in on silent feet, smiles on their faces.

"He's asleep?" Arwen asked in amusement.

Elrond nodded. "Don't wake him. The longer he can sleep the better," he whispered.

"How is it going? We were expecting a lot of yelling," Elrohir said.

"He's doing fine." There was a hint of pride in Elrond's voice that made his children smile. "What are you all doing here?"

"We just wanted to check on how he was doing. How long until we can see our new brothers or sisters?" Arwen asked, clearly excited at the prospect of meeting the new additions to the family.

"I'm not sure. A while yet, I think." Elrond smiled up at them. "I'll let you know when we're nearly there."

"Well, we should go," Elrohir smiled.

"Wish him luck," Elladan added.

"'Wish him luck'?" his brother and sister echoed incredulously, grinning.

"What?"

"I'll tell him you stopped by," Elrond assured. "Go and get some sleep tonight."

They filed back out, leaving both of them alone again. Legolas managed another hour's sleep before the pain woke him and groaned softly, alerting Elrond to his awareness. "Elrond?" he asked croakily, looking around himself.

"I'm here, Legolas," Elrond said from his side, suddenly appearing in his line of vision. "Sorry, we were having dinner," he gestured to where Glorfindel was quickly clearing his plate. "How are you feeling?"

"All right. Tired."

"Then just rest for as long as you can. How is the pain?"

"Bad."

"It'll be over soon. Do you want some food? We have plenty."

"No, thank you."

"Arwen and the twins came by earlier to say hello but they didn't want to disturb you."

"Oh." Legolas ran his hand through his hair and then frowned. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Nearly four hours. You slept better than I thought you would." Legolas lay still for a while before the pain grew too much again and he had to get up. Surprisingly, he started his pacing again, although it was slower than before. A louder groan alerted the other two that something was wrong and they reached Legolas' side just as he started to sink to the floor.

"All right, we've got you," Elrond assured as he and Glorfindel took his arms to support him.

"Elrond," Legolas cried, grasping the Elven lord's robe and holding on for dear life.

"Just breathe through it, Legolas. It'll pass," Elrond coached kindly as Legolas grabbed his leg, as if he needed to be touching some part of Elrond. When an actual cry of pain left Legolas' lips, Elrond's heart ached in sympathy. Glorfindel looked downright terrified but remained passive, leaving the comforting to his lord. "That's it. Deep breaths. Good." By the time the pain had eased, tears were streaming down his face and he was whimpering softly to himself. "All right?" Elrond asked as Legolas calmed again.

"Yes." It was so shaky they could barely understand it. "Water."

"You want a drink, Your Highness?" Glorfindel asked, eager to do something.

Legolas shook his head, clearly still in pain. "Be in the water."

"Do you want me to run you a warm bath?" Elrond asked, getting the hint and Legolas nodded in confirmation. "Glorfindel, please run Legolas a bath, warm not hot, about half full and get some towels and flannels." Glorfindel nodded and stood up. "Then tell the healers we are progressing and we're going to need them soon."

"Safe?" Legolas breathed through the pain.

"Sorry?" Elrond frowned in confusion.

"Safe for the babies?"

"You mean the bath?" Legolas nodded. "Of course it's safe. I wouldn't do anything to endanger them, my love. Don't worry; we just need to get you comfortable." He took Legolas in his arms, stroking his back. "Is the pain a lot worse?"

"Yes," Legolas whimpered.

"The water should help ease that a little. Can you stand up?"

"I think so."

Elrond helped Legolas to his feet slowly, having to steady him as he stumbled. "All right, I've got you," Elrond assured when another cry of pain escaped the prince just as Glorfindel returned from informing the healers of their progress. The contractions seemed the most intense yet so Elrond gently guided him towards the bathroom and Legolas went willingly with him, taking one small, shuffling step at a time. Seeing the pregnant Elf struggling, Glorfindel stepped forward and took his other hand to support him. He almost regretted it when Legolas squeezed his hand so hard it hurt, as if he needed to share the pain with another.

By the time they got to the bathroom, where the tub was filled as per request, Legolas was openly crying, tears mingling with the fine sheen of sweat on his flushed face. As if not remembering how this was normally done, Legolas went to climb into the warm water but was held back by the two older Elves.

"You still have your clothes on, melleth," Elrond reminded him and he blinked as in a daze. "It's all right. Slip off your clothes then you can get into the water." Blue eyes flicked over to the helper on his left and Elrond understood immediately. "Glorfindel can wait outside." Obediently, Glorfindel released the young Elf and backed out of the room to give them some time alone. After the door closed, Elrond eased Legolas out of his clothes, apologising when the fabric brushed against the sensitive wound on his stomach, causing him to yelp in pain. The whole thing seemed to take far too long for Legolas' liking but he was finally helped into the water, relishing the warm soothing feeling of it swirling around his tired, aching body. The weightless feeling provided some relief on the strains in his back and legs even if it didn't take away the terrible pain. "Is that better?" Elrond asked.

"Yes," Legolas whimpered in relief.

"Good," Elrond smiled kindly, crouching down beside the tub and taking a flannel, dipping it in the water until it was warm enough. He then started pressing it against and running it over Legolas' exposed body, especially his chest, stomach and face. Legolas moaned in pleasure at the attention so Elrond continued to soothe him through the increasing pain.

To Legolas' horror, the contractions were only getting stronger but longer in duration as well. Of course, he knew this was how it was supposed to happen but he wished it didn't. He alternated between lying back in the water and sitting forward rocking gently and whimpering to himself. Whatever he did, Elrond was right next to him, reassuring him, comforting him.

Twice Elrond had to change the cooling water for warmer, wanting Legolas to be as relaxed as possible. By the time midday had crept up on them, the pain was coming steadily closer to unbearable and Legolas had started writhing and crying softly to himself as if he no longer cared about his previously strongly-held self-control.

A knock at the door startled Elrond from watching his love. "I'll be right back," he promised, standing and opening the door to reveal his twin sons. "What is it?"

"We wanted to see how Legolas was doing," Elladan told him.

"He's doing fine. You can wait out here if you like but I have to get back to Legolas." He smiled at his son's concern for their friend but shut the door on them and returned to his love's side. When he took up the warm flannel again to smooth it over Legolas' body though, the prince pulled back with a sharp, "Go away."

Knowing it was nothing personal; Elrond stepped back, leaving Legolas to ride out the pain on his own. He perched himself on the chair on the other side of the room, ready should Legolas need him again. He made sure that Legolas knew he was close by and hadn't abandoned him. It really was no wonder Legolas was snappy. Not only had he been up for two days but he was in agony and Elrond wasn't going to make things any harder for him. If he wanted space, that was fine. Anything to make it easier on the prince.

Rather predictably, his independence didn't last long. A few minutes later, he cried out Elrond's name and the Elven lord was instantly at his side and his hand was crushed in an iron grip. He stroked damp, golden hair back from Legolas' hot forehead.

"It's all right. I'm here," he soothed.

As another pain ripped through him, a wave of panic also washed over him and he suddenly felt worryingly confined in the tub. "Elrond…I want to…get out," he gasped, trying to lever himself out through the blinding pain.

Taking Legolas' arm to steady him, Elrond asked, "Are you sure?" Legolas had seemed so relaxed in the water and Elrond was surprised that he now wanted to get out.

"Yes," Legolas ground out, dragging himself up out of the water, leaning heavily against Elrond. "I need to walk around," he said more calmly.

"All right." Elrond took Legolas' hands.

They had to pause when Legolas doubled over in pain, leaning against Elrond and gritting his teeth to keep from crying out loud. The Elven lord waited patiently until he was able to move again. "Step down carefully," Elrond said softly.

As soon as Legolas' bare feet touched the floor he started circling the bathroom, ignoring Elrond hovering near him. He did pull his arm away when Elrond went to link his arm with his own. The dark-haired Elf stepped away and picked up Legolas' dressing gown, which was draped over the back of the chair. He went back to Legolas, who was now braced up against the wall, his face screwed up in pain, and went to lay the robe over his shoulders but Legolas rather forcefully slapped him away.

"I don't want it on," Legolas groaned, closing his eyes.

Elrond nodded and went to the door, opening it to Glorfindel. The Elda went to speak but looked rather startled when he saw a naked Legolas, still dripping wet, braced against the wall completely oblivious to the visitor Elrond had heard coming. The startled Elf blushed slightly and respectfully diverted his eyes focusing on his lord instead, slightly worried that Elrond would chastise him for looking at his partner so inappropriately but Elrond did not seem to care.

"Excuse me," Glorfindel said, clearing his throat. "I didn't mean to…shall we…?" He gestured to the prince, keeping his eyes averted.

"Don't worry about it. I think he's past caring. What is it?" Elrond sighed, glancing over his shoulder.

"The healers were asking if Legolas wanted to come back into the bedroom so he could lie down and examine him."

"I don't know. Wait a moment." Elrond approached the prince. "Legolas." The Elf let out a sharp cry of pain so Elrond moved forward, moving to place his hand on the small of Legolas' back to rub soothing circles but the moment his hand touched bare flesh, Legolas pulled away.

"Don't touch me," he yelled almost violently and Elrond stepped back in shock with his hands in the air in surrender.

"All right, I'm not touching you," he assured kindly, only slightly surprised and hurt.

"Elrond?" Glorfindel asked from the doorway and Elrond turned to him again. "What is wrong?"

"It's all right. The pain is getting worse."

"Is there anything I can do?"

Elrond shook his head. "I don't think so. Tell the healers they can wait outside."

"Soon?" Glorfindel asked with a hint of excitement, tinged with relief.

"Not too much longer."

A broad smile crossed Glorfindel's face at the thought which dissolved when he caught a glimpse of Legolas who was crouching on the floor, balanced on his knees and hands, rocking himself and whimpering softly.

"Is he all right?"

Elrond followed his gaze. "I should get back to him."

"Shall I find him some clean clothes?"

"I don't think he'll want to wear them," Elrond smiled. "He'll be fine."

"Elrond? I'm missing the pacing," Glorfindel sighed heavily.

"Me too."

Glorfindel retreated back to the bedroom, pulling the door closed behind him.

"Well?" Elladan asked when the seneschal reappeared. All three of Elrond's children were waiting impatiently for news of how much longer they would have to pace around.

"Elrond says not long now." He was prevented from continuing by a loud shout from the bathroom that startled them all. "Poor Legolas."

"He's strong. He'll be all right." They all nodded, their eyes on the door.

Elrond actually winced when a cracked shout left Legolas' mouth. He stayed back, not wanting to invade Legolas' personal space for fear of being yelled at again. Blood was once more dripping from the wound on Legolas' stomach, creating a watery pool beneath him, not that he seemed to care too much and Elrond didn't approach him to wipe it up.

Once the pain had eased a little, Legolas tried to slow his breathing to a more acceptable level. He suddenly felt alone again and regretted shouting at his love. He needed Elrond. Tears fell from his eyes, joining the bathwater and blood on the floor. "Elrond," he whimpered as pain washed over him again.

"I'm right here," Elrond said, his hand immediately on his back to let him know he was close by.

"Elrond?"

"Shh, it's all right, I'm here," the healer soothed.

"I'm sorry," the prince said through gritted teeth.

"It's all right," Elrond assured, kneeling down next to him. "Don't apologise."

"I didn't mean…"

"Shh." He stroked Legolas' wet hair back, pulling it away from where it hung over his face.

Calmed once more, Legolas croaked out, "It…It just…hurts."

"I know it does, sweetheart. What can I do to help? Do you want to get back into the bath? Maybe the water will help ease the pain a bit." Legolas shook his head, moaning again. "How about taking a walk around?"

At this, Legolas nodded but said, "I have to…" He waved in the direction of the toilet, avoiding Elrond's eyes, not that he was in any condition to care. "I can't get up."

"All right, let me help you." Rather gingerly he took Legolas' arms to support him as he sat up straight. "Let me just wipe some of this blood away. I'll be gentle." Very carefully, Elrond wiped the blood from his stomach, apologising when Legolas cried out in pain. "There you go," he smiled. "Can you stand if I help you?" Legolas nodded so Elrond pulled him to his feet, pausing for Legolas to regain equilibrium.

Once the prince had made himself more comfortable, he started pacing around again, still not letting Elrond touch him too much. He loved his partner but he felt like he was being suffocated.

"I need to walk…" Legolas told the healer. This room was much too small. He strode to the bathroom door, needing some air.

When he put his hand on the door though, Elrond stopped him. "Legolas, you need to put a robe on, or at least a towel. Glorfindel is out there."

"I need to get out," Legolas gasped as another contraction ripped through him.

"But…Glorfindel…"

Legolas flung the door open, shouting in pain and yelling, "I don't care!"

Glorfindel, Elladan, Elrohir and Arwen all leapt back when the door slammed open and Legolas stalked in. Arwen blushed furiously and spun on her heel so she was facing her brothers instead of Legolas' naked form. The males in the room all averted their eyes respectfully but Legolas didn't seem to even notice them as he walked back and forth. Elrond appeared a moment later, giving a shrug to the gathered Elves. Personally, he didn't really mind if Legolas chose to walk around with no clothes on – not even in front of other people if he wanted to – but the prince's unshakable prince and usual bashfulness when it came to his body would normally have forbidden him to be so exposed. It appeared now that the pain had shoved aside his pride. He didn't care about his dignity anymore.

Leaving Legolas a moment, Elrond went to place his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Arwen, if his state makes you uncomfortable you can wait outside. We will summon you when it is time."

"Thank you, Ada. I don't think Legolas would want me to embarrass him so," she smiled, edging toward the door so as not to look at Legolas, who was still wandering around with his hands on either side of his stomach, muttering something to himself.

As Elrond was assuring his daughter that everything would be fine, Legolas' pacing was interrupted when he stumbled slightly and released a low moan of pain. Immediately, Elladan, who was closest, rushed over and reached out to steady him.

"Get off," Legolas growled when he felt hands on his arms and back.

Elladan let go and jumped back as if burnt, stuttering out a nervous, "I'm sorry."

"Don't touch him," Elrond instructed calmly as he joined them again. "He doesn't like to be touched."

"I…I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

"It's all right, Elladan. It's not you personally. He's in a lot of pain," Elrond smiled at his obviously upset son. "Listen, why don't you two take a break? Go get some food. Nothing will happen whilst you're away, I'm sure. Go, Glorfindel and I will be fine here."

"Thank you," Elrohir put in, taking his brother's arm and dragging him from the room.

Meanwhile, Elrond walked up to Legolas who was braced against the wall again, trying to steady his breathing. "Legolas, how are you feeling?" he asked gently, reaching over to pull the drapes at the windows shut to darken the room a little from the late afternoon sunlight and to offer Legolas some more privacy.

"How do you think?" Legolas yelled, followed by another moan.

"Terrible?" Elrond quipped and received a deathly glare. "What can I do to help you, melleth nin?"

"I don't know!" Legolas yelled in annoyance. Honestly, he didn't know what he wanted. He wanted to sit down and rest his exhausted body but also wanted to keep moving around. He wanted his friends there with him but he didn't want an audience. He wanted the warm robe covering his chilled body but couldn't stand the feel of it against his sensitive skin but at the same time he hated feeling so utterly exposed even around people he loved. He wanted Elrond close to him to help and guide him but he just felt too crowded. He wanted arms to hold him but he couldn't stand people touching him. He wanted reassurances but found that the words only frustrated and distracted him. In fact, the only thing he was absolutely certain of was that he wanted this all-consuming pain to stop.

When another contraction hit, he stopped, slamming his hands down onto the dresser to stop himself collapsing to the floor. He felt Elrond behind him just in case he needed further support.

"Just breathe through it, melleth," Elrond's voice filtered through the pain.

With his frustration finally boiling over, Legolas yelled angrily, "Oh, thank goodness you're here, Elrond. I wouldn't have thought about _breathing_ otherwise." A cry escaped him so he couldn't gauge Elrond's reaction to this sarcastic retort. He still felt Elrond hovering close by him though and he shouted, "Do you have to stand so damned close?"

Elrond merely nodded shortly and stepped backwards a little. He knew Legolas didn't really mean it; he wasn't thinking straight. He had been around enough agonised patients to know not to take these insults personally. If Legolas wanted to take his pain out on someone, Elrond was content to be the target.

After a minute or two, the pain ebbed slightly and his head was a little clearer and Legolas stood upright and took a deep a breath as he could manage. "Elrond," he whimpered.

Without a moment's hesitation, the Elven lord was at his side. "I'm still here."

"Elrond, it hurts," Legolas cried, turning to lean against his partner, pleased when strong arms were wrapped around him. He buried his swear and tear soaked face in Elrond's shoulder and held him back with a strength he didn't know he possessed.

"I know it does, my love." Elrond stood quietly then, letting Legolas grip ahold of his robes with all his might, sobbing into his shoulder. "All right, my love."

Legolas pulled back after a minute and said in a quiet voice, "I think I need to sit down now…please."

"Of course. We can do that. Nice and slowly," Elrond said softly as he led Legolas over to the bed. "Glorfindel," he called over to his friend to help support Legolas on the other side. Only two steps in though, Legolas stopped and leant forwards, a shout of pain escaping him. He took another stumbling step forward, glad for the extra support provided by the two Rivendell Elves. The small room seemed to take forever to cross and it was with immense relief that he finally sank down onto the bed. When the pain returned with a vengeance, Legolas grabbed Elrond's hand again and squeezed as hard as he could. His other hand reached for the closest thing he could find, which just happened to be Glorfindel's robes. The seneschal looked down helplessly and smiled up at Elrond.

The prince sat forward, getting as close to Elrond as was possible, crying into his chest, trying to smother his cries. "All right, Legolas," Elrond soothed, wrapping his free arm around the prince. The young Elf now abandoned Glorfindel and instead fully grabbed hold of his partner. "It's all right."

"Don't let…me go," Elrond heard Legolas' muffled voice from his chest.

"I won't. Shh."

The crying died down after a while so Elrond pulled away a little. "No! No, don't leave me," Legolas cried, grasping at Elrond with desperate hands.

"I'm not going anywhere." He reached over to pour a glass of water from the jug on the table beside the bed. "See? I'm right here. Have a few sips of water." Knowing Legolas was still weak and shaky, Elrond held the glass to his lips for him and the prince drank gratefully. When he pulled away a little, Elrond removed the glass and freed up his hand. "Better?" Legolas nodded, his hands forming tight fists again as the pain returned. "Do you want to lie back for a while?"

"Yes," Legolas answered in a strained voice.

Elrond and Glorfindel helped him lie down, propped up on a mound of pillows, into which he sank down with a sigh. He shifted until he was as comfortable as was possible to be. The pain wasn't lessened in this position but at least now his legs didn't ache quite so much without his weight pressing down on them.

"How is that?" Elrond asked calmly, gesturing for Glorfindel to take a step back.

"All right," Legolas said weakly. All of a sudden, he was pleased for Elrond's fussing. He didn't want to be left on his own anymore.

"Would you like a blanket?"

Legolas nodded. "Please."

Elrond spread a soft blanket over him carefully, making sure he was comfortable. "There you go."

"Thank you," Legolas said before another contraction tore through him. Elrond was suddenly sat on the bed beside him and had taken his hand again.

"Squeeze my hand, melleth nin, as hard as you like," Elrond's soothing voice filtered through the pain and Legolas did as instructed, clutching the proffered hand for dear life. "That's it." When Legolas relaxed slightly, his hand slackening a little, Elrond soothed, "It's all right, my love." Turning to face the other blonde Elf in the room, Elrond asked, "Glorfindel, can you get me a flannel and a bowl of cool water?"

"Yes, my lord."

Legolas' wide eyes moved up to meet Elrond's and he asked in a weary voice, "Why are you so nice to me after I was so mean to you?"

Elrond smiled, stroking sweat soaked hair back from Legolas' forehead. "You can snap at me as much as you like if it helps you get through this. I'll just ignore it for now and we'll forget every unkind or snappy thing you say. Deal?"

"Deal," Legolas smiled slightly. He felt the start of another contraction and his hand tightened on Elrond's again in anticipation.

"Slow, deep breaths, melleth nin," Elrond coached calmly.

"How much longer?" Legolas moaned through gritted teeth, turning his head to one side so he could see his partner.

"I don't know, my love. Just hang in there for me." Legolas nodded, moaning in pain, his eyes slipping closed again as he tried to focus on anything but the awful pain.

At the same time as Glorfindel brought in the bowl of cold water Elrond had asked for, the twins entered, returning from their rest. Elrond ignored them all for the time being but instead wrung out the wet flannel and started washing Legolas' fevered face, keeping on hand available for Legolas to squeeze as the prince continued to writhe on the bed.

Whatever small amount of comfort Legolas had derived from Elrond's closeness had completely disappeared by midnight. Any self-restraint had also left him as the pain grew so intense that all sensible thought deserted him. He had let go of Elrond's hand to place his hands on his stomach, which was quite literally being ripped apart by the children trying to escape him. A while back he had kicked off the blanket that had covered his modesty, uncaring that the twins were in the room, along with all the other healers who had been summoned with the birth impending. They were all gathered around the bed, examining the opening on his swollen belly, which was by now almost fully formed. Elrond was ever right next to them, offering clipped guidance and instruction. Glorfindel had stood in Elrond's place at Legolas' side but the prince didn't reach for him or even seem to know he was there.

An ear-piercing scream of sheer agony filled the room and glazed blue eyes opened but failed to focus on anything at all.

"All right, Legolas, it looks like you're nearly there," Elrond smiled over at him. "It's nearly time to push."

"Did you hear that, mellon nin?" Glorfindel asked, wiping Legolas' flushed face with the wet cloth. "You'll be having your babies soon."

Legolas really didn't need to be told it was time. He could feel the children twisting inside of him, which was then followed by an almost overwhelming urge to push. After twelve months of confinement, his children wanted to make their way into the world and they were suddenly as impatient as their father.

"Elrond!" Legolas cried out loud.

"No, not yet, Legolas. Don't push yet. Just a few more minutes until we're ready," the Elven lord called.

"No, now!"

"Glorfindel, you have to keep him calm."

"He isn't listening to me, Elrond."

"Legolas," Elrond called from the bottom of the bed. "Legolas, listen to me; I need you to hold on for me, for your children. They are not quite ready to come into the world just yet." Had he been able to, Legolas would have gotten up and physically strangled Elrond for saying those words. Right now he just wanted this all to be over. He needed the pain to stop now. Surely this was too much for anyone to endure. However, he clenched his teeth and bore the pain. In all the discussions he and Elrond had had about this, Legolas never imagined it would be so hard and Elrond had told him that the birth itself would be the hardest part of all.

"You're doing well, Legolas. Not much longer now," Elrond told him, patting the prince's leg reassuringly.

"Shut up!" Legolas yelled back at him but Elrond merely smiled at the insult.

"I know you're impatient but you are so close." Elrond went to examine Legolas again, bending to check on the opening. Although he was losing a lot of blood, things were still progressing nicely. "Arwen can you please have a blanket ready?" he told his daughter.

A huge smile spread across Arwen's face when she realised what this meant – it was nearly time. Suddenly excited, she ran over to the table where everything was laid out in preparation and snatched up a soft blanket in which to wrap the baby when the first one made an appearance.

"Legolas, it's time. On the next contraction, I need you to start pushing," Elrond told the prince. He carefully manoeuvred Legolas' legs so the healers had good access to the opening for when the children were born. "Glorfindel, can you prop him up a little? Elladan, give him a hand."

"Here, Your Highness," Glorfindel uttered as he and Elladan lifted his top half a bit and shifted the pillows so Legolas was propped upright. It seemed that Legolas did not really notice he had been moved, too involved in his labours to care.

The next contraction came quickly. Excruciating pain ripped another cry from Legolas' lips and only someone shouting 'push' at him reminded him what he had to do. They had been through this process hundreds of times in his lessons but suddenly everything he had been taught completely deserted his mind.

Rather surprisingly, he felt Glorfindel take his hand and lean in close so he could be heard above Legolas' own shouts.

"Push as hard as you can until Elrond tells you to stop," the Elda guided and releasing his breath slowly, Legolas nodded in understanding and proceeded to do as instructed, putting all his strength into pushing.

If the pain from the contractions had been bad then actually starting to give birth to his children could only be described as pure torture.

"That's it. Good," Glorfindel encouraged.

"Good, Legolas. Well done," Elrond called, watching the progress and helping his fellow healers. "All right, Legolas, you can stop now." Legolas fell back against the sweat-drenched pillows, his hand loosening on Glorfindel's. The seneschal flexed his fingers to relieve the aching. The prince was even stronger in his pain. "Do the same thing on the next pain, Legolas." Glorfindel took a moment to wipe Legolas' face with the refreshingly cold cloth, wiping the sweat from Legolas' eyes.

Pain followed by breath-taking effort was all Legolas knew for the next hour. He had rather hoped that the birth would be quick and over with in just a few minutes but it seemed that this would be going on for some time yet.

**OIOI**

"Legolas," Elrond called for the third time. "Legolas, come on. You need to push again. Legolas?"

Glorfindel took the hint that Legolas couldn't understand and forced the prince to look up at him. "You need to push again, mellon nin."

"I know you're tired but you need to keep pushing, Legolas. Your children are nearly here. You need to push," Elrond told him.

"Come on," Glorfindel said, helping Legolas sit up a little. "Legolas, you have to push, all right."

Legolas nodded again, grasping ahold of the sheets beneath him and pushing as hard as he could. "Good, Legolas. Keep going." The prince seemed incapable of concentrating on the voices all around him any longer; he couldn't even hear his own cries of pain and effort. The only thing he could focus on was pushing. "You're doing so well, Legolas. Keep it up," Elrond called encouragements over Legolas' cries. "All right. Good. You can stop now."

This time, the prince fell back against the pillows and closed his eyes, not noticing Glorfindel dampening his face with the cool cloth again.

"It won't be much longer now, Legolas. You're doing great. A few more pushes and you'll see your first baby. Legolas? Can you hear me?" Elrond asked, concerned by the lack of response. "Glorfindel, can you check his pulse?"

Putting his fingers against Legolas' wrist, Glorfindel said, "It's fast. And he's getting cold, Elrond."

"That is to be expected, my Lord. He is losing a lot of blood," one the healers said.

Elrond nodded in acknowledgement, knowing he wasn't detached enough from this patient to be completely rational as panic started to flutter in his chest. Swallowing his own worried for now, Elrond said, "Legolas, come on, my love. We need you to push again." A low groan issued from the prince, indicating that Legolas was at least still alert. "Come on. You can…"

"Go away," Legolas groaned when Glorfindel and Elladan pulled him up again.

"I can't do that. You have to give birth to your babies now. After that, if you want, I'll go away and leave you alone forever if that's what you want," Elrond told him.

"Fine," Legolas mumbled and once more focused in on his task.

"Good, Legolas, you're doing so well, my love," Elrond told him with a smile. "One more push and you're there. Just one more, Legolas."

"I can't," Legolas mumbled from his pillow, having sunk back down. Over two days of labour with virtually no sleep and suffering so much pain had left his body exhausted. He didn't think he could sit up straight let alone push a life out of him.

"Yes you can. Push, Legolas!"

"I…can't," he said softly. If only the pain would go away, then he could sleep. Sleep sounded so good. He didn't even realise he was mumbling 'sleep' until Elrond's sharp voice cut through the pain and drowsiness.

"No, Legolas. You can't sleep yet. You have to push. Come on." Legolas shook his head softly against the pillow. The darkness looked so inviting. "Legolas! Come on. Push." The prince just moaned to himself and shifted his head on the pillow again. "Take over here," Elrond told the healers, striding away and snatching a towel from Elrohir's hands. He cleaned the blood off his hands and went to Legolas, moving his other son aside. He sat on the bed next to Legolas and slipped his arm under Legolas' shoulders and lifted him up carefully.

"Don't," Legolas pleaded tiredly, trying to push Elrond away but found himself too weak.

"I have to, melleth nin. You have to push again." Legolas fell back into Elrond's chest limply. "I know you're tired, Legolas, but it's nearly over. Just a few more pushes. Just think, within the hour you'll be holding your babies. But you have to work for them."

"I can't. I'm sorry," Legolas cried into Elrond's warm chest.

"Of course you can," Elrond spurred him on lightly. "Open your eyes." Tired blue eyes fluttered open to take in the room around him. He found himself laid in Elrond's arms and he had to admit that he was glad for the support. "Good. Now, squeeze my hands." Elrond held out both his arms around the prince and Legolas shakily put his own cold hands into Elrond's bigger, warm ones and felt their strength surrounding him. "Right, now push. Come on, sweetheart. You have to push now." Legolas nodded, swallowing down a sob of despair.

With Elrond's continuous encouragement, Legolas pushed down again.

"Don't stop, you're doing well."

A scream escaped Legolas' throat as he continued. As soon as the healer told him he could stop, Legolas slumped back against Elrond, breathing heavily from the strain.

"You can't rest just yet. You'll need to push again in a minute," Elrond told him, disentangling one of his crushed hands to stroke Legolas' wet hair back.

"I want to go to sleep," Legolas whined, sounding almost childlike.

"I know you do and I promise once those children are in your arms I will let you sleep as long as you want but right now I need you to do this for me, for our children. Can you do that for me? Please."

Legolas nodded. "Yes."

"Good. Come on." Elrond glanced briefly up at his healers for confirmation. "All right. Push now, Legolas." The prince did so, crying out and throwing all his strength into delivering his first child. Finally, after a supreme effort and a loud yell, the first of the twins was delivered into the world.

"Congratulations, my Lord, Your Highness. It's a girl," one of the healers declared, taking the tiny baby and cutting the cord before handing her to a waiting Arwen where she was immediately surrounded by healers.

"Did you hear, Legolas? A girl. You have a girl," Elrond grinned, his attention divided between the baby and his prince.

Legolas looked around blearily. "Where is she?" he whimpered in panic. "Why isn't she crying? Elrond?"

"I don't know, my love. Hold on. Arwen?"

Arwen stepped away from the mass of healers and went to whisper in her father's ear so Legolas couldn't hear. "She's not breathing well. The healers are working on her but she's very weak."

Despite wanting to jump up and run over to help his new born daughter, he knew that she was in good hands and that he needed to stay with Legolas. So he swallowed down his concern and nodded to his daughter. "Thank you."

"Elrond, please, what's going on?" Legolas cried.

"Shh, it's all right. The healers are checking her over."

"Sh…she's all right?" he asked shakily.

Elrond didn't answer although his eyes moved up to meet Glorfindel's and there was a definite hint of sadness in them. Glorfindel got the message: Legolas shouldn't be told yet and he nodded slightly in understanding. "Legolas, drink a little water before you have to push again."

"Not again, please."

"A couple more pushes, Legolas, then it'll all be over." He placed the glass against Legolas' lips and let the prince sip at it. He handed the glass back to a waiting Glorfindel, shooting the mass of healers a discreet glance as he did so. They sounded quietly panicked as they worked on his newly arrived daughter. A shrill cry from Legolas made him focus once more on the task at hand and he forced his concern aside for the time being.

"You need to push again now, Your Highness," the healer at Legolas' stomach told them.

Legolas moaned as the pain grew to intolerable levels again. He felt Elrond take his hands and he squeezed them once more. "Push, Legolas!" Elrond told him. Legolas honestly didn't think it was possible for the agony to get any worse but amazingly it did as he pushed once more.

The second of the twins was easier than the first but for Legolas' exhausted body, it felt like forever before he was allowed to pause. He fell back against Elrond, breathing heavily from the effort. His entire body felt utterly shattered, limp and exhausted lying in Elrond's strong arms. He was covered in sweat and blood ran from the opening in his stomach, soaking the sheets beneath him. His body trembled with pain, cold and sheet effort. Someone, he assumed it was Glorfindel, wiped his face and chest with a cold flannel, which felt good against his burning skin despite the fact that he shivered.

The pain rose again and he knew what was coming next. "Legolas, you need to push again. Just one more, I promise. One more. Come on, my love."

"I…can't…"

"Yes, you can. Come on, Legolas."

Summoning up energy he didn't know he possessed, Legolas sat up with a whimper and set his mind to pushing with all his might. Finally, with a huge push and a loud cry of pain, the second of his babies was born. This one came out and immediately joined its father in his cries. As Legolas' shouts tailed off, the baby's grew in pitch and volume, filling the room.

"Congratulations again, my lords," the healer said, cutting the cord with ease and holding up the tiny wriggling baby to show to its parents. "It's a boy," he smiled, handing the child to a waiting Arwen, who wrapped him in a blanket and handed him to the healer.

Legolas collapsed back into Elrond's embrace, his eyes falling instantly closed.

"Oh, Legolas," Elrond gasped, looking down at his love. "Legolas, open your eyes, my love, and look at your son." Tired eyes fluttered open again with an impossible amount of difficulty and found the wriggling bundle in Arwen's arms. Pain and tiredness gave way to wonder as he caught sight of the baby. Elrond pressed a kiss against the top of his head and whispered, "Look what you did." He laughed softly, holding Legolas' hands tightly. "He's so beautiful," the healer whispered, tears of joy dampening his cheeks.

A sob escaped Legolas' throat and he blinked his eyes quickly to clear the blurriness of tears, not wanting to take his eyes off the screaming bundle. "Is he all right?" Legolas asked shakily, his voice croaky and hoarse from shouting.

"He looks fine, Your Highness," one of the healers answered with a practiced placating smile.

"Are you sure?"

"Listen to him, Legolas. He's fine," Elrond told him genuinely.

Elrond nodded to the healer and his daughter who stepped away from the bed. Panic raced through Legolas again and he struggled to sit up. "Where are they taking him?"

"Shh, they're just going to clean him up and check him over. They'll be just over there," Elrond gestured to the second table that had been set up in the healing hall. With the baby out of sight, Elrond returned his attention to Legolas. "I'm going to lie you down flat, all right?" Carefully, he slipped out from under Legolas, easing him down onto the bed, being careful to avoid jostling the prince as he was obviously in a great deal of pain. As gentle as he was though, Legolas still moaned at the movement. "All right, melleth nin."

With Legolas now safely propped up against the pillows, Elrond went to lay a blanket over him but the prince raised his arm as if to bat him away. "Please don't," he whimpered.

"All right. We'll let you rest for a while." He pulled Glorfindel aside and said softly, "Can you please prepare me some warm water and Athelas? And I'll need towels and blankets."

"Of course, sir."

"Thank you, mellon nin."

The lead healer approached Elrond and Glorfindel and said in a low voice, "The first born needs specialist care. We're going to move her to the next room where we can work more easily on her."

"What is it?" Elrond asked in concern.

"She is extremely small. Her lungs are underdeveloped and she is struggling to breathe. She is the weaker of the two."

"Do you think she'll…"

"We'll do everything we can for her, my lord. Don't give up on her yet."

"Yes. Thank you." He cleared his throat, trying to rein in his emotions for now. "What about my son?"

"He seems fine. In perfect health even if he is also a little on the small side. We will keep a close eye on him all the same."

"Thank you." They parted ways, Glorfindel going to get the things his lord had requested, the healer going to tend to the baby and Elrond returning to his partner. "Legolas, if you feel up to it, you can hold you son now," he offered quietly. Legolas nodded and offered him a weak smile. "All right." Arwen was once more cradling the baby, who had quietened now, in her arms. She gladly handed him over though, carefully transferring him to his ada's safe arms.

Arwen leaned over and kissed her father's cheek. "Congratulations, Ada."

"Thank you."

"I'll go make you and Glorfindel some tea, get out of your way for a while." Elrond nodded gratefully as he stepped away to be congratulated by his other two children as well.

"Legolas?" he asked quietly as he approached. "Say hello to your son." The prince raised trembling arms and Elrond laid the baby in them gently. "There you go," he whispered, making sure the baby was secure before sitting on the bed beside them.

For a while, Legolas could only stare in amazement at the tiny life that he had created. Blue eyes so like his own stared up at him. The eyes were where the resemblance ended though for the baby had dark hair like his Noldorin father rather than the blonde of Legolas' Silvan family. A small hand made its way out of the blankets and reached up as if to grasp at his father.

"Elrond," Legolas sobbed with a broad smile. "Look, Elrond."

"I see him, sweetheart. I see him," Elrond said, one finger gently running over the baby's fine brown hair, still slightly damp.

"He's so beautiful," Legolas breathed in wonder.

Elrond laughed softly in agreement. "Didn't I tell you it would all be worth it in the end?"

The prince nodded; it was true, right then he barely felt the pain, barely remembered the past twelve months of fear and discomfort. All that mattered lay in his arms – this tiny little life.

Elrond planted a kiss on Legolas' forehead as he put his arm back around the prince and Legolas' head fell to rest on his chest, staring as if in disbelief at his new born son. It was hard to believe that it had actually happened. There had been moments in the past twelve months when he doubted the pregnancy would ever end.

"Legolas, are you all right?" Elrohir asked from where he and his brother had perched on the edge of the bed.

When Legolas nodded, Elrond looked down at him, noting with concern the tears falling steadily from Legolas' eyes. "Are you sure, melleth nin?" he asked kindly. Legolas nodded again although a sob escaped him at the same time. Elrond pulled him closer, kissing his hot brow again. "Shh, it's all right," he soothed.

With a small, watery smile, Legolas sobbed out, "I'm all right. Sorry." He found that now he had started the tears he couldn't stop them. It was as if he had opened the doors to all that pent-up emotion and now he couldn't close them again. He flicked his eyes towards the twins and healers still left in the room and swallowed down his sobs and blinked away his tears. In a rather thick, shaking voice, he repeated, "Sorry."

"Shh, you go ahead and cry as much as you like, sweetheart. They don't mind," Elrond smiled up at his older sons and the healers who all nodded in agreement. Legolas just buried himself deeper against Elrond's solid warmth and cried, his eyes on his newly delivered baby. The room remained respectfully silent, giving the prince the time and space he needed. It didn't take too long for Legolas' heart-wrenching sobs to fade away and for him to pull himself together. Legolas looked up to Elrond with tired eyes to find the Elven lord smiling kindly down at him. "Feel better for that?" he asked, wiping the tears from Legolas' still flushed cheeks. The prince nodded slowly and closed his eyes wearily. "Good. Now, I think we should get you cleaned up so you can get some rest. Why don't you give the baby back to Elladan and he'll take him next door to get him washed dressed and fed."

"All right," Legolas agreed, handing his son over to the waiting Elladan, who took him with a small smile. "Elrond, what about Anara?"

"Our daughter is down the hall, melleth. The healers are still working on her. They'll let us know when there's any news." Legolas nodded, worry making his heart ache. "How about if Elrohir stays with her? That way she won't be alone and he can let us know how she is whenever you like."

The prince nodded again, his pleading eyes meeting Elrohir's. "Thank you."

Rocking the squirming baby in his arms, Elladan said, "We'll leave you alone for a while, let you get some rest. Thank you for letting us be here, Legolas." The blonde Elf nodded shortly, already beginning to sink against Elrond again. "Send for us if you need us." Elladan smiled kindly and took the baby out into the hall, followed closely by their brother.

**OIOI**

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	16. Precious Lives

Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own anything Tolkien created. Nope, not a thing.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****Yes this is an m-preg, as in male pregnancy. I know anatomically it is impossible in the real world but I like the idea (mainly for the Legolas suffering that goes with it). Please, if you are dead set against this kind of thing then don't read then complain that you weren't warned.**

**OIOI**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who left a review and also to those who've added this story to their favourites/alerts.**

**Enjoy the chapter.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 16 ~ Precious Lives**

**OIOI**

When the door had closed behind the twins of Elrond, Legolas let his arms drop and he relaxed back against the pillows with a moan. Everything hurt. No part of his body was spared the terrible aching. His limbs felt heavy with the unbearable strain they had been put under, his chest ached from days of strained breathing, his hands cramped from so much clenching, his head was absolutely pounding and his back hurt terribly. Even his eyes seemed to ache from having no sleep for days. But all of that was nothing compared to the pain in his stomach. After his son had been delivered, the healers had pressed a padded bandage over the opening to stop the bleeding and even that soft pressure increased the pain.

Elrond gently stood up from his side to converse with the healers then returned to Legolas' side. "We're going to check on that wound; you may need a few stitches. I'm going to give you something to help with the pain; it should be safe now. Then we're going to clean you up and get you into a clean bed so you can rest for a while."

"Sounds good," Legolas smiled wearily.

Elrond put his hand on the blonde Elf's shoulder and smiled in return. "Try and relax now, all right? You've done the hard work; let us take it from here." Legolas nodded, resting his head back as Elrond and the healers gently removed the bandage, making him release another moan of pain. "I'm sorry, Legolas. This won't take long and something for the pain is coming." He looked up at where another healer was mixing together the medicines.

"Drink this, Your Highness," one of the healers said, helping Legolas drink the bitter liquid.

"It shouldn't take long to work," Elrond assured him as he inspected the opening. To the healer stood at his side, he said, "We'll need a couple of stitches here. Go get…" The healer already had a tray in his hands and Elrond picked up what he needed. "Legolas, this might hurt a bit but I'll be as quick as I can."

Just when Legolas thought the pain was starting to recede it flared again and he cried out softly. Elrond kept his concentration though, wanting to get this done as quickly as possible. It didn't take long before Elrond finally pulled back and started gently washing the wound with warm, Athelas-infused water and although it still hurt, the pain had dulled a little now that the painkillers had started working.

"Does that feel better?" Elrond asked as he gently wiped the blood from Legolas' stained skin.

"Mmmhmm," Legolas mumbled almost incoherently.

"Good," Elrond laughed. He dried Legolas off, being careful as he moved his legs, knowing he was probably still sore all over, then placed a clean bandage over the wound. "There you go, melleth. That will need changing again soon but I'm not going to mess it about any further today."

"Elrond?"

"Yes, my love?"

"Can I have a blanket, please?" Now that the pain was dimming a little he suddenly felt self-conscious lying naked and completely exposed on the bed.

"Of course." Elrond reached for a clean blanket that Glorfindel had brought earlier and laid it over Legolas but the prince just pushed it down so it only covered his lower half and didn't lay across his sensitive stomach. "Sorry. Now, shall we get you into a clean bed?"

"Can I have a bath first?" Legolas asked, hating the fact that he was still coated in dried sweat from his labours. Blood still clung to him and he felt his damp hair clinging to his face and shoulders.

"I think we can manage that," Elrond smiled kindly. "I'll start the bath running while you rest for a minute." He left Legolas by himself for a minute and dismissed the healers, knowing that they were no longer needed in the room, then went into the bathroom to run a warm bath for the exhausted prince.

When he returned to the main room, Legolas was dozing lightly on the bed so Elrond left him to it for a while, sticking his head out the door and calling for Arwen. She immediately came to him with a willing smile. "Could you bring us that hot, sweet tea now?" he smiled.

"Of course, Ada. How is Legolas?"

"Utterly exhausted but he's doing well. Elladan and Elrohir are with the babies."

"They will be fine, Ada. She is a fighter, I can sense it," Arwen told her father firmly, taking his hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "You have to believe that, for Legolas' sake as well."

He offered her a small smile and nodded. "You are right – as ever. You really should go and rest, Arwen, after today you must be worn out."

"Me? Ada, you have been up for days with Legolas, you should be worried about yourself. Promise me you will find time to sleep."

"I promise." He placed a kiss on her worried brow and sent her on her way. He returned to Legolas' side after turning off the bathwater, taking a seat beside the bed. Five more minutes wouldn't hurt. They deserved five minutes of peace after everything they had been through. With no more screaming or panic, the room seemed suddenly very empty and Elrond gave himself a chance to let everything sink in. He slumped in his chair and raised a shaking hand to his eyes. He had two more children. Another son and another daughter had been added to the Imladrian first family. Two long, hard days seemed to have gone by so fast in retrospect. Legolas had survived where others had given up and although he was still desperately weak, he was no longer in any real danger. His son was healthy and strong. His daughter…Well, his daughter he didn't know about yet. He simply had to believe and trust in her strength and the healer's skill now. As a master of healing himself he longed to go and help her. It went against his very nature to sit doing nothing whilst someone he loved was in trouble that he was trained to help with. But he knew he would never be able to remain focused enough to offer any real help and would only end up getting in the way of the people trying to save his child's life.

Forcing down the grief he didn't even know was called for yet, Elrond sat forward and ran his eyes over Legolas' body. His breathing was a little strained but that was to be expected, he was covered in a sheen of sweat, his golden hair lay damp and limp on the white pillow beneath his head, his skin had turned pale and was now cold to the touch and he shivered slightly and he looked utterly flat out, sleeping with his eyes closed.

The fragile prince of Mirkwood, always considered so easily bruised and over-protected, had, in Elrond's eyes, just performed a miracle. He reached out and took a pale hand in his own and pressed a warm kiss to its back.

Sensing the movement, dazed blue eyes fluttered open and drifted over to Elrond. A small, tired smile crossed pale lips and Elrond returned the gesture. "Hello. How are you feeling now?" Legolas offered him a weak smile in response to what he considered to be a ridiculous question. Fifteen minutes of dozing would do very little. "Sorry."

"It's all right," Legolas rasped. Sore throat – one more thing to add to his list of complaints, hardly surprising given all the shouting he had done in the past twenty-four hours especially.

"Water?" Elrond offered and Legolas nodded eagerly. He carefully propped himself up, wincing at the movement. When had his body suddenly gotten too heavy to lift? A cool glass was pressed to his lips and he sipped at it gingerly. His stomach still felt worryingly unsettled and he didn't relish the prospect of bringing up large amounts of water right then. "Better?"

"Thank you."

"Arwen is coming with some tea in a minute if you feel up to drinking…"

"I don't think so."

Just as Elrond opened his mouth to speak again, a gentle knock came from the door. "Enter," Elrond answered, knowing it was just Arwen. "Thank you," he said, standing and taking the tray of drinks off her.

"How are you feeling, Legolas?" Arwen asked sweetly, approaching the bed.

He somehow managed to summon up a reassuring smile and answered, "Tired, but better."

"Oh, you poor thing, and I'm keeping you awake when you should be sleeping," she fussed, smoothing his hair back.

"Legolas is going to take a bath and then he is going to get some sleep," Elrond told her firmly and Legolas only nodded in agreement. He honestly didn't think he had the energy to do anything more.

"That sounds like a good idea," she agreed, taking Legolas' hand in her own delicate one. "I'll send Glorfindel in to give you a hand. Maybe I'll see you later, after your sleep," she then told Legolas, bending to kiss his forehead. "Yell if you need anything else, Ada."

"I will, thank you," he smiled at her as she quietly left. "All right, if you're ready, shall we get you into a warm bath?" Legolas nodded and allowed Elrond to help him to sit up straight. He didn't even bother trying to disguise his groan this time; he had no pride left in that respect anyway. Pausing as a wave of dizziness washed over him, Legolas vaguely heard Glorfindel entering and offering to help. "All right?" Legolas nodded, sliding his legs over the edge of the bed with the least amount of jarring movements possible. He went to reach for the blanket that he felt slip off him but Elrond told him, "Don't worry about that. Glorfindel is very hard to embarrass and he is unfailingly discreet."

Normally, Legolas would have argued but he didn't have the strength to waste on unnecessary words. Glorfindel had already seen everything, anyway. He vaguely remembered the Elda speaking to him during the delivery. Glad for the unwavering support of either side of him, he put his feet on the cold floor and pushed himself up so he was standing. Although he was a little shaky, it didn't take long to get to the bathroom, for which he was grateful as his legs ached terribly.

He sighed gratefully when they were able to stop walking. He glanced over at Glorfindel then back to Elrond and said softly, "Could Glorfindel wait outside?"

"Of course," Elrond caught on that Legolas required a little privacy before he sank down into the warmth of his bath. "I think we can manage now, Glorfindel. You can go and see how the twins are doing with the babies. We'll call you if we need you." Glorfindel nodded and left them alone, pulling the door closed. As soon as the door clicked closed, Legolas was able to turn and relieve his badly aching bladder and Elrond stepped back to give him some more privacy but came forward when the prince had finished. "Feel better now?" he smiled and Legolas nodded gratefully. "You could have said you needed to go earlier, I could have helped you."

"It's all right," Legolas said almost shyly.

"Bath now?"

"Yes, please."

Elrond took his hand and supported him into the bath. It was shallow enough so as not to compromise Elrond's newly applied bandage but deep enough to also meet Legolas' needs. As soon as he was sat in the water, Legolas went to lie back so Elrond put his arm behind his back to lend some extra support. Closing his eyes, Legolas let the warm water do its work on his aching muscles, feeling Elrond's strong presence behind him. When, after a few minutes, Legolas still made no move to clean himself up, Elrond used his free hand to soap a flannel and started carefully running it over Legolas' body, being careful to avoid the wound on his stomach and making sure he was especially gentle around the parts he knew still hurt the prince.

"Can you sit forward a bit?" he said softly and Legolas did so, steadying himself by gripping the edges of the bathtub. Elrond quickly washed Legolas' lank hair then combed it through. He eased Legolas back against his arm and wiped the flannel over his pale, tear-stained face. "There you go. All clean." With both arms now free, he hugged Legolas and held him as close as was possible.

After a while, wrapped in Elrond's arms and drifting pleasantly in the water, Legolas found himself falling into sleep again. He honestly didn't know how it was possible to be this tired.

Elrond's voice disrupted his dozing and he opened his eyes with a great deal of effort. "Come on; let's get you to be so you can get some rest. You must be exhausted." Legolas nodded so the Elven lord helped him to stand up and step out of the bath. Sensing that Legolas wasn't going to do much now, the older Elf gently towelled him dry, making sure his hair was as dry as possible before tying it back so he wouldn't get a chill in his weakened state.

"Do you want to get dressed or would you be more comfortable going without?" Elrond asked, remembering his previous aversion to clothes.

"Without," Legolas answered hoarsely.

"All right," Elrond smiled understandingly. "Now, how does a warm, clean, comfortable bed sound?"

"Really, really good," Legolas smiled wearily.

Elrond laughed softly and said, "All right. Come on." He led the prince through to the bedroom slowly, noting how he shuffled in a rather ungainly manner. Legolas sat down on the clean bed with a grateful sigh and looked up at his partner. He suddenly felt a new wave of sleepiness wash over him and tried to stifle a yawn but unfortunately it didn't work. Elrond smiled at him. "Lie down and sleep, Legolas. You deserve to rest after the day you've had." As Legolas lay back against the soft pillows, Elrond pulled the sheets over him, a grin on his face once more. "You were so amazing, my love," he said, perching on the edge of the bed.

"So were you."

Elrond scoffed, "No. I just stood back and watched. You did all the hard work."

"Well, you put up with my terrible temper."

"I was happy to," Elrond assured, stroking Legolas' hair back lovingly.

"Can you ever forgive me?"

"There is nothing to forgive. I don't care how mean you were; not if those two beautiful children are the result." He got up to get his mug of now lukewarm tea that Arwen had brought earlier. When he turned back around he was surprised to find tears streaming down Legolas' face again. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, returning to sit down.

Legolas shook his head and drew a shuddering breath. "Nothing."

"Legolas, is the pain getting too bad?"

"No, it's all right."

"Then what? You can tell me," Elrond said kindly, putting his hand on Legolas' arm.

"Nothing. It's nothing. I'm sorry." He reached up to wipe his tears away. "I don't even know why—why I'm crying." Legolas laughed at his own ridiculous statement. "I'm sorry. Ignore me, I'm just being stupid."

"You are not being stupid."

"I don't know what's the matter with me."

"Legolas, you've just had a long birth, you're exhausted, you're bound to be a bit emotional."

"I'll be all right in a minute." Legolas wiped his eyes again, seemingly unable to stop the tears from flowing. "You don't have to sit here and watch me—crying like a little Elfling."

Elrond smiled, rearranging the sheets over Legolas. "There is no place in the world I would rather be right now than here watching you cry like a little Elfling."

"Sorry," Legolas said, trying to pull himself together.

"Don't be silly." Elrond placed a kiss on Legolas' forehead. "You go ahead and cry as much as you like; I don't mind," he whispered kindly. "Cry all you like."

After a while, Legolas was finally able to stop his tears and he looked up as Elrond wiped his face for him with a handkerchief. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Not laughing at me."

"Why would I laugh? A good cry never hurt anyone. Try to get some sleep now. The children are fine so just rest, melleth nin." Legolas nodded and shifted to get comfortable. "I am so proud of you, Legolas. And thank you for those two beautiful children. I love you so much."

"Love you too," Legolas murmured before closing his eyes and letting his shattered body relax into a deep sleep.

"Sleep well, my love," Elrond whispered as he laid back in his chair with a heavy sigh. He smiled softly at the sight of Legolas at peace. For the first time in weeks, he looked genuinely peaceful, tucked beneath a warm blanket, his eyes closed and his breathing deep.

Later that evening, Elrond stood at the window looking out at his valley. For the first time, he felt at ease with the pregnancy and the birth that had frightened him so much over the past long months – not that he would ever admit his fears to Legolas. He had had enough on his mind recently without Elrond adding to his concerns. Now it was over though, Elrond felt relieved beyond relief. He had hated watching Legolas suffer so much during those last couple of months. If there was anyone who didn't deserve to suffer, it was the prince of Mirkwood.

With a sigh, Elrond pulled the window closed and drew the drapes.

"Elrond," a soft murmur came from the bed, causing him to spin around. He found Legolas' eyes open and looking at him as he shifted uncomfortably on the bed.

The Elven lord walked quickly over to him. "Hey. Did I wake you? Are you too cold? The window was open."

Legolas shook his head slowly. "No."

Despite the assurance, Legolas shifted in the bed slightly and let his eyes fall closed again. "Are you all right, melleth nin?" Elrond asked in concern perching on the edge of the bed and taking Legolas' hand in his own. He was worried to find it cold and weak although it wasn't surprising given that he had lost so much blood in the past couple of days. "What's wrong? Are you uncomfortable?"

Legolas nodded weakly, saying croakily, "Hurts."

"You're in pain?" The blonde Elf nodded his head carefully. "Where does it hurt?"

"Everywhere," Legolas answered truthfully. Now that he had been allowed a couple of hours' sleep and his body had been allowed a chance to rest, all of his adrenaline had worn off completely and he was left feeling cold, weak and achy all over. He wasn't sure if he would even be able to move his limbs; they felt heavy but flaccid and if he did, by some miracle manage it, he guessed it would hurt to do so.

Elrond smiled kindly at the confession and stroked Legolas' hair back from his forehead. "Do you ache all over, melleth?" A small nod answered his question. "How about your stomach? Is the pain bad?"

"Yes."

"I can give you something to take the edge off," Elrond told him softly. "Let me just make you up something to help, all right?" Legolas nodded so the Elven lord got up and went to the table to mix together the correct herbs. He didn't make anything too strong as he had only just had a dose of the potent herb and Elrond didn't want to make him completely insensible. "Here you go, melleth nin, take that and it will ease the pain."

Elrond carefully helped Legolas sit up enough to down the liquid, which he did around a moan of pain at being moved.

"There you go. That shouldn't take long to work," Elrond said in a soft voice, returning to his seat on the bed now Legolas was laid down again.

The prince nodded gratefully but then looked down at himself as if in confusion then worry and he said in a strained, panicked voice, "I'm bleeding."

Elrond sat up straight, frowning. "Let me take a look," he said calmly, folding down the sheet just enough to expose the bandage covering the tear in his stomach through which the twins had been born. The white padded bandage was indeed now spotted with blood on the outside. Wanting to make certain that Legolas was really all right, Elrond gently peeled the bandage back to find it indeed covered with blood around the wound.

"I'm bleeding," Legolas repeated in panic upon seeing the wound.

"Shh. It's all right, you're fine. It's not as bad as it looks," Elrond reassured, going to get a bowl of warm water and a cloth to clean the wound up. "It's just a little blood," he soothed as he gently wiped the blood off Legolas' skin, being especially carefully as he knew how sensitive Legolas' abdomen was right now. "I suspect you might experience a lot of bleeding over the next few days. I want you to let me know if it gets too bad, all right." Legolas nodded, closing his eyes against the pain his partner's actions caused him. Elrond gently placed a clean bandage over the now clean wound. "There you go. Does that feel a bit better?"

"Thank you."

Elrond pulled the sheets up again to keep the sleepy prince warm. "Go back to sleep, my love."

"Yes, Legolas?" the Elven lord smiled.

"Anara?"

The smile fell from the dark-haired Elf's face immediately but he took Legolas' hand and held it tightly as he answered, "The healers are looking after her. Try not to worry. Just rest." Legolas nodded weakly, unable to protest further. His eyes slipped closed again but he still shifted uncomfortably, trying to get onto his side so as to ease the pressure on his back. "Let me help you," Elrond offered, aiding Legolas onto his side and shushing him when he moaned softly in pain. Supporting him, Elrond reached for a spare pillow and placed it behind Legolas' back, making sure he was as comfortable as it was possible to be under the circumstances. "Feel better?" he asked, smoothing the blankets over him.

"Thank you, Elrond."

"Shh. You just go back to sleep, I think you deserve it," he said in a whisper, which Legolas just smiled faintly at. With a sigh, he closed his eyes, concentrating on Elrond's fingers running over his hair. Soon, he was back asleep, oblivious to the quiet halls around him or Elrond's watchful gaze.

In truth, Elrond could have sat there all night watching his love sleep peacefully but unfortunately, a moment later, there was a knock at the door and his son's head peeked through.

"Can I come in?" Elladan whispered from the door.

Elrond got up and walked on quiet feet over to him. "Of course, come in, ion nin. Please be quiet though. Legolas just got back to sleep."

Elladan nodded as he stepped into the room on silent feet. "How is he?"

"Completely exhausted and extremely sore but all things considered, he's not too bad," Elrond smiled gently.

"I'm glad."

Breaking his gaze away from Legolas, Elrond asked, "Was there something you needed, ion nin?"

"No, not really. I just wanted to check in on you and Legolas."

"We're fine, thank you, Elladan."

"Is—is that blood?" the elder twin asked, catching sight of the old bloodied bandages Elrond had just discarded. "Is he…?"

"He's fine. Bleeding is perfectly normal after birth. So long as it doesn't get too heavy, he'll be just fine," Elrond assured his son, warmed by his son's concern for his old friend.

"Oh, all right. Is there anything I can get you, Ada?" the younger Elf asked, looking his father up and down.

"No, thank you, ion nin. I think I'm going to take your sister's advice now and get some sleep," Elrond told him, having to stifle a yawn.

"Good idea. You look worn out." Elrond nodded with a small chuckle at the candour only those closest to him could get away with. "I'm going to give Erestor and Glorfindel a hand in the office so I'll be around if you need me at all."

"Thank you."

Before his son could turn to go though, Elrond called him back. "Elladan." The young Elf looked expectantly over at his father. Elrond stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his first-born, holding him close. "I love you, you know that, right?"

"Of course, Ada."

"I love all of you. You, Elrohir and Arwen. And now Anara...and the baby," Elrond said softly, closing his eyes and just concentrating on the feel of his son in his arms. "I love you all."

Elladan smiled into his father's shoulder and said, "We know."

When he felt a little steadier, Elrond pulled back but took the opportunity to look his son over properly. The younger Elf didn't so much as flinch under his stare, having become used to it over the years. Instead, a smile graced his face in the hope that it would reassure his obviously emotional father. It seemed to work, as a moment later, Elrond also smiled and laid his hands on Legolas' shoulders.

"Go and help Erestor, ion nin. No doubt he could use it by now. He was fairly frantic earlier."

"You know Erestor, he's always frantic about something. He's just become very good at hiding it."

"I'll see you later, ion nin."

"Sleep well, Ada."

**OIOI**

Elrond had fallen asleep within moments of sitting down because one moment he was sitting watching Legolas sleep and the next he was waking from his reverie to the morning light and he was started by a tapping at the door. After checking that Legolas was sleeping comfortably still, Elrond got to his feet to answer the door before whoever it was disturbed the prince. When he pulled the door open with a large yawn, Glorfindel smiled at him rocking his baby son in his arms.

"Forgive me, my lord, did I wake you?" the pristine seneschal asked, taking in Elrond's wrinkled clothes, his ruffled hair and squinting eyes. The Elven lord merely shot him a wry smile and swallowed down another yawn. "I came by a bit earlier but you and Legolas looked so peaceful that I didn't like to disturb you. How is Legolas?"

"Completely exhausted. He fell asleep almost the minute he laid down and has only woken once so far as I know. To be honest, I don't think he could have stayed awake any longer," Elrond smiled, glancing over to Legolas.

"He did well."

"Really well. I still can't quite believe it."

"And he's all right?"

"Well, he lost a lot of blood so he's very weak and I expect he still hurts pretty much everywhere and, of course, we'll have to keep an eye on the pain. But apart from all that, he is as good as can be expected." Elrond's mind seemed to drift for a moment but he seemed to shake himself out of it and smiled. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I think this little one was missing his adas. The maids had his milk prepared. I thought that if Legolas was awake he might like to feed him."

Elrond opened the door fully to allow Glorfindel to enter. "I think he might have some trouble with the 'awake' part," he laughed softly. "But I will happily take him off your hands." Elrond sat back down in his chair and let Glorfindel ease the tiny baby into his arms where he settled immediately, gurgling up at his father with curious blue eyes. "Hello there," he said in a soft voice as he took the slightly warmed milk from a grinning Glorfindel. "Now, you're going to have to go easy with me, little one. It has been millennia since I had to feed an infant. Let us just pray you are easier to handle than the twins were." Glorfindel smiled as his usually stern lord kept up a light-hearted commentary to his new born son. The baby watched him closely and accepted his bottle without protest, his tiny mouth devouring the milk.

"You're a natural," Glorfindel smiled quietly. He had to admit that his old friend looked good with a baby in his arms again. It had warmed his heart when Elladan, Elrohir and Arwen had been born and brought Elrond and his wife Celebrian so much happiness and joy. To see that again with Elrond and Legolas was a good thing in Glorfindel's eyes.

"Were you hungry, ion nin?" Elrond asked, watching his son suck enthusiastically on his bottle. "I must admit that I've missed this."

Legolas groaned softly in his sleep, causing both lords to look up sharply. He merely shifted, let out a sigh and went back into his heavy sleep. "Is he…?"

"He's fine. The sleep will do him good."

Glorfindel cleared his throat and turned his gaze away when the sheets slipped off, revealing the prince's naked form. "Should I…?" He pointed vaguely to the bed and Elrond looked back up and nodded rather indifferently. It didn't concern him but if Glorfindel was uncomfortable he could do what he wanted so long as it didn't harm the younger Elf. Glorfindel sighed and picked up the sheet from where it was hanging over the side of the bed. He pulled it up and draped it back over Legolas.

The younger Elf stirred again, his blue eyes opening a slit, searching for whatever had disturbed his well-earned rest. "What's wrong?" he croaked out sleepily.

It was Elrond's hand that reached out to rest on his forehead, stroking softly. "Shh, shh, nothing's wrong. We didn't mean to wake you. You were losing your sheets," he explained, realising that Legolas probably had no idea what was being said to him.

"Oh," was all Legolas mumbled, his eyes moving down to look at the sheets now covering him.

Elrond smiled at the reply then whispered, "Go back to sleep."

Legolas just nodded slightly, turned onto his side away from the two other Elves and fell back to sleep but not before shoving the covers back off of him again, causing Elrond to laugh softly at Glorfindel's look of exasperation. "Leave him be," Elrond advised.

"Fine. It seems my purpose here is finished."

"Actually, there is one thing you could do for me."

"Anything," Glorfindel offered with hesitation.

"I want to go and check on Anara but I don't want him left alone," he said, nodding to Legolas as he stood up with his son still in his arms. "Will you stay with him for a while? Just watch him."

"Of course. I'll stay as long as you need me to."

"Thank you, mellon nin. I'll take him with me so he doesn't disturb Legolas." He carefully bent to kiss his love's forehead. "I'll be back soon," he whispered, standing up straight and smiling to Glorfindel. As the seneschal took a seat by the bed, Elrond slipped quietly from the room. He walked slowly down the halls until he reached the children's healing halls. The room was quiet and although Elrond knew that was perfectly normal for a room of healing but with the knowledge that his own sick baby was lying in there the silence became deeply disconcerting. He would have given anything to hear the kind of shrill screaming that had followed Arwen's birth.

He stood for a moment, trying to build up the courage to open the door, terrified of the news that awaited him. Taking a deep breath, he used his free hand to push the door open slowly. If the hallway had been a challenge then this room was impossible to stand. As soon as he entered he knew what was coming. Only two healers remained in the room now, one looking after Anara whilst the other busied herself at the medicine cabinet. Only one of his twin sons remained and Elrohir was pacing the room restlessly although his eyes remained on his baby sister.

"Ada," Elrohir said quietly when he saw his father. Somehow, Elrond managed to summon up a smile of greeting. "How is Legolas?"

"Still sleeping. Glorfindel's with him," Elrond said in a soft voice to match that of his sons as he closed the door behind him and stepped closer. His eyes were on Anara despite the fact that Elrohir was saying something; he barely even heard it anyway. "Where is Elladan?" he asked, not realising he had interrupted his son mid-sentence. He knew he was stalling, avoiding the burning question but the words stuck in his throat, his fear preventing them from escaping.

"Erestor needed him to help in the office. He'll be back soon," Elrohir answered, walking over to his father in concern. "Ada…"

"How is she?" Elrond finally blurted out, ignoring his older son.

Instead of answering himself – he just didn't have the nerve – Elrohir looked imploringly to the lead healer for an explanation. The healer stepped towards Elrond and said softly, "Perhaps you should hand your son over to Elrohir so we can speak in private." Although this made Elrond's heart race – he knew 'speak privately' was the healers' code for 'deliver bad news' – but he nodded carefully and handed the now sleeping baby over to the waiting Elrohir with a shaky smile. His older son took the baby into the adjoining room, closing the door quietly behind him to give his father and the healer some time alone. He would have given all the world for his father not to have to endure this upcoming conversation.

Elrond walked up to the crib in which his daughter laid silently and peered at her in wonder. If his son had seemed small then Anara was tiny, far smaller than average. He reached out and ran his fingertip over the fine blonde hair so much like her Silvan father's. She stirred, a tiny hand reaching up in an attempt to find the invading finger and Elrond moved so her fingers could grip his impossibly larger one. Her grip was so weak though that he barely felt it and after a moment her arm fell back down and after a brief kick of her feet she fell back to sleep, leaving Elrond to run his finger down her face in amazement.

Although he could have stayed there all day watching her, Elrond looked up at the lead healer and asked the dreaded question. "What is the prognosis?" He'd never heard his voice sound so small in all the years he had been practising healing. As a healer in charge of people's lives he had to be confident and certain so he had learnt over the years how to detach himself from the situation, to look at injury and sickness as a healer rather than as an Elf. He longed for that detachment now but he couldn't do it when it was his daughter lying there.

"Perhaps we should sit, my lord," he healer suggested gently, gesturing to the set of chairs by the bed on the other side of the room.

"I don't want to sit. Just tell me, please."

The healer, still maintaining the ease that Elrond longed for, nodded and plunged right into the explanation, being careful to keep things simple as he would normally. He was talking to a parent, not his lord and although it was strange he knew that Elrond deserved some kindness.

"She is extremely weak. We are especially worried about her breathing. She seems to be struggling a great deal." Elrond looked down and noticed that Anara's tiny chest was indeed straining under the effort to accommodate her body's demands for air. "She has not been as responsive as I'd like and had barely opened her eyes or moved all night. And her heartbeat is very weak and unstable."

"In short?" Elrond asked, bracing herself for what he knew was coming.

"We don't think she can fight this, my Lord. She is simply too weak and had been becoming weaker ever since." Elrond nodded, swallowing down his grief. "You need to start preparing yourself and prince Legolas," the healer said softly.

"I understand," Elrond said in little more than a whisper, his eyes drifting back down to his daughter. "She…" he trailed off though, not quite knowing how to continue.

"Please, ask your question," the healer said softly.

"She is not in pain is she?" He knew the answer somewhere deep in the recesses of his mind beside all the other vast array of healing facts and yet he found he couldn't summon them at that moment.

"It is difficult to know for certain but we don't think she is in any great pain," the healer answered for him as simply as he could.

"How long?" the dark haired Elf asked, his voice cracking.

"I think…a matter of hours. She is simply not strong enough."

"Hours?" Elrond choked out, raising his hand to wipe tears from his eyes before they fell. "Only hours," he whispered.

He barely heard the healer ask him if he was all right but a moment later a chair was placed behind him. "Here, sit down for a moment," the healer said kindly, easing his lord to sit down next to the crib so he could still see his daughter. "Can I get you a glass of water, sir?" Elrond nodded numbly so the healer stepped away, giving his lord time to compose himself. In all his years of living in Imladris he had never seen Elrond look so small. Usually, he was confident, in control, standing strong and tall against whatever problem he was faced with but this tiny child had reduced him back to being little more than an Elfling himself.

"Have my other children been told?" Elrond asked from his chair.

"At the moment I believe only Lord Elrohir knows the prognosis although Lord Elladan and Lady Arwen are aware of how sick she is."

"May I hold her?"

"Of course, sir." The healer went to the crib and with gentle hands picked Anara up, wrapped in a soft blanket, and placed her carefully into her father's waiting arms. Her only reaction was to open her mouth wide in a yawn, clearly unable to protest verbally.

"Hello, my love," Elrond smiled, looking down in wonder at his new daughter. Were it not for the fact that her small chest heaved with the strain of filling her lungs with oxygen, she would have looked like every other new born child. "You are so beautiful. So much like your father." He smiled slightly. "Your other father, of course." He looked up to find the healer had stepped back to the other side of the room to give him some privacy. "Can you please ask Elrohir to come back in and have my other children sent here immediately. I want them all to have a chance to…say goodbye to their sister." Valar, how it hurt to say that. The healer nodded and went into the adjoining room. He obviously decided to warn Elrohir of what was going on as it was a minute or two before the door opened revealing his sons. The elder lingered in the doorway a minute before Elrond called softly, "Come in, ion nin."

"Ada, I'm so sorry," Elrohir said, joining his father. Unshed tears glittered in his eyes but he was clearly making an attempt to hold it together for his father's sake and Elrond appreciated it.

"Thank you, ion nin." Elrohir pulled up another chair and sat down next to his father, rocking the baby in his arms. His son looked good with an infant cradled in his arms, Elrond observed.

It wasn't long before a knock sounded from the door and it opened to reveal Elladan and Arwen, each wearing grim expressions. Elrond reminded himself to thank the lead healer for his consideration in thinking to inform his children what was going on. The very thought of having to tell them himself was almost too much to bear.

He gestured them over and stood up to greet them. Almost immediately, Arwen burst into tears and stepped forward to carefully hug her father, looking down at her sister.

"Shh," Elrond soothed, kissing her brow as he was unable to return her embrace.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"We all are," Elladan put in, moving into Arwen's place when she stepped away.

Offering them all a rather shaky smile, Elrond said, "Would you all like to hold her for a minute?"

"Are you sure?" Arwen asked.

"She is your sister. You should have a chance to…" He found he couldn't say the words in front of them but his children understood. They all nodded nervously so he indicated for Arwen to sit in his old chair then gently laid the baby in her arms.

"She is so…" Arwen started but shook her head in wonder.

"Does she have a name, Ada?" Elladan asked.

Elrond smiled sadly. "Legolas seems to like the name 'Anara'."

"Anara," Arwen repeated in a whisper. "It's perfect."

"Does Legolas know yet?" Elladan asked in a soft voice.

"No, not yet. He is asleep at the moment but I'll wake him in a few minutes. He should be with her when she…He should be with her." Elladan's hand fell on his shoulder in support and he pulled his son close, holding him tightly and Elladan held him back. The last time he had comforted his father like this was after he and Elrohir had brought their mother back after she had been set upon by orcs. That night, she had been so close to death that his father had sought out his children – much younger then – and held them so tightly to him that they had thought he would never let go. Their mother had pulled through, surviving her dreadful injuries but had been so stricken by her experience that she had decided to sail to the Undying Lands to be at peace. Anara did not have that choice though. There wasn't time for her to be taken over the Sea. She would have to spend her death in Mandos' dark halls until a time she would be released along with all the other lost souls.

"Elladan, would you like to…?" Arwen offered and they gently transferred the tiny baby, Elladan taking his sister's place.

"What about this one?" Arwen asked, looking at her baby brother in Elrohir's arms. "Does he have a name yet?"

"We haven't discussed it yet," Elrond confessed. "Let me take him," he then offered, relieving Elrohir of the baby so he too could hold his little sister. After Elrohir had held Anara for a while, Elrond said quietly, "Will you three do me a favour?"

"Anything, Ada," they all said at once without a moments' hesitation, making Elrond smile slightly.

"Would you look after these two for a while? I have to…prepare Legolas." An excruciating silence filled the room at the thought and Elrond actually shuddered. "Give me thirty minutes then bring Anara to us so Legolas can hold her?"

"Of course, Ada," Elladan said, letting Elrond hand him his little brother to look after.

"Thank you all." He gave Arwen a quick hug and sent grateful smiles to his twin sons then left them to look after his new children.

The walk down the corridor had never seemed so long. Dragging his feet, Elrond wished he never reached that room. He had, in his long and eventful life, fought orcs on the plains of Dagorlad, seen empires rise and fall, built his own refuge and faced countless foes and yet he had never been so scared in his life. How was he supposed to tell Legolas that their daughter was going to die? He could barely even think the words let alone speak them out loud.

When he came to the door, he paused, trying to steel himself for what was coming. It didn't work well though; he was still trembling. Realising he was only stalling and that it would do him no good, Elrond opened the door and stepped inside.

Glorfindel jumped up from his chair to greet him but when Elrond lingered in the doorway, he came forward.

"My Lord?" Elrond just stared past him at Legolas and the seneschal saw the fear in Elrond's eyes. "The baby?" Unable once more to form the terrible words, Elrond just shook his head but it was all Glorfindel needed to understand. "I…I don't know what to say. Elrond, I'm so sorry. What can I do?"

"Go sit with the twins and Arwen. I have to speak with Legolas." Glorfindel didn't envy that task. In fact, he thought that he would rather fight a Balrog - again – than be the one to tell Legolas that his child was dying. He left silently, knowing there was nothing more he could do. His heart wept for the couple though.

**To Be Continued…**


	17. In Sorrow

Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own anything Tolkien created. Nope, not a thing.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****Yes this is an m-preg, as in male pregnancy. I know anatomically it is impossible in the real world but I like the idea (mainly for the Legolas suffering that goes with it). Please, if you are dead set against this kind of thing then don't read then complain that you weren't warned.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 17 ~ In Sorrow**

**OIOI**

For a while, Elrond could do nothing but stare at his sleeping lover. He longed to just walk away and leave Legolas to sleep some more. The prince was laid on his back again but had snuggled down further into the bed covers, making him look more like a young Elfling than ever, which only made things harder for Elrond. With a heavy sigh, Elrond stepped up to the bed and sat on the edge, reaching out to tenderly caress Legolas' cold cheek. "Legolas," he called, lowering the blankets so he could at least see his face. "Legolas." The blonde Elf didn't so much as stir and Elrond once more wished he could leave him to rest – the poor Elf was utterly exhausted. This wasn't something he could ignore though so he tried again, reaching under the covers and taking Legolas' hand, squeezing it. "Legolas," he called a little louder, causing Legolas to stir slightly. Elrond continued calling his name until a low moan issued from the prince as he made his way towards wakefulness. "That's it," Elrond encouraged gently. "Legolas, I need you to wake up. Legolas?"

"What…? G'way," Legolas slurred, weakly batting his free hand against Elrond in protest.

"I can't. You have to wake up now. There's something we have to talk about." He waited a moment but Legolas didn't move so he encouraged, "It is important, my love, you have to wake up."

Legolas nodded and muttered, "M' awake."

"Can you open your eyes for me then?" Elrond said kindly. The young Elf frowned slightly as if he thought this was the single most ridiculous thing he had ever heard but blue eyes fluttered open all the same and came to rest on Elrond. "Thank you."

"Wh…what time is it?" Legolas croaked out, squinting even in the light of the candles that remained burning.

"Shh, you've been asleep for a few hours; it's nearly dawn now."

"Oh. Then what…?"

"Can you sit up for me?" Elrond helped Legolas struggle into a sitting position, carefully propped up against a mass of soft pillows. "Here, drink this," he instructed, handing Legolas a glass of water, which he drank gratefully. Once the glass had been replaced on the bedside table, Elrond asked, "How are you feeling?"

Rubbing at his aching eyes, Legolas answered, "Tired."

"And the pain?"

"All right. Elrond, what's going on?" Legolas asked weakly, feeling his eyes falling shut again already.

"There is something I have to tell you. Legolas, look at me, please," Elrond prompted when the prince's eyes drifted closed. The young Elf focused, seemingly with some difficulty, on his love and tried to concentrate. "I know you're tired but you have to listen closely because this is very important, all right?" Legolas nodded wearily, trying to follow what was being said. It would have been so much easier if he didn't have to fight to keep his eyes open. "Legolas, our daughter…she is very ill."

That woke Legolas up better than a bucket of ice-cold water being chucked over his head. "What?"

"She is a lot smaller than average and her lungs are struggling to work properly," Elrond explained as kindly and as simply as he could.

"But she…she'll be all right?" Legolas implored.

Elrond shook his head softly, placing his hand against Legolas' cheek. "She's just too weak, melleth nin. She is fighting to stay alive but…she is too weak to survive."

Legolas stared at him for a long moment, unable to process the words and interpret their meaning. "I…I don't…I don't understand," he said quietly. Elrond could almost see the moment the terrible truth sank in and his heart broke. Tears filled his eyes and a shaky breath escaped him as Legolas said the words that Elrond himself had been unable to speak. "She…Anara…She is…going to…die?"

"There is nothing the healers can do. I'm so sorry," Elrond said in a broken voice when he heard Legolas' breath hitch in grief.

"No," Legolas shook his head. "No. No."

Tears streaked down the prince's face and they finally escaped Elrond's eyes as well. He moved up the bed and pulled Legolas into his arms, holding him close as he cried. He reached up to smooth golden hair, mussed from his sleep. "I'm so sorry, Legolas. I'm so sorry," Elrond cried, hugging his love as Legolas grabbed hold of him and clung on for dear life. "I'm sorry." If only there were something more he could say to make this right. There wasn't though so Elrond just held him as he cried despairingly.

Elrohir entered the room a few minutes later, carefully carrying the tiny Anara. When his father looked at him, he was startled to find tears of sheer grief streaming down that proud face as he held a sobbing Legolas in his arms. Recovering from his momentary shock, Elrohir went to take a step forward but Elrond shook his head to stop him so he stepped back to wait.

Turning back to his love, Elrond asked, "Legolas, do you feel up to holding Anara for a while?" He stroked Legolas' hair again as he sat back a little. "Take the chance to…say goodbye." The prince nodded shakily so Elrond released him to stand and take his daughter from Elrohir who gladly handed her over. "Give us some time alone," he requested quietly of his son. Elrohir nodded and left them to it. "Here you go," Elrond said as he placed Anara in Legolas' arms. He took his seat on the bed, close to his family.

"She's so small," Legolas whispered in a shaking voice, marvelling at the life in his arms. This was the first time he had properly seen her as she had been whisked away so quickly from him after she was delivered and not to mention the fact that he had been a little busy pushing her brother out at the time.

At the sound of her father's voice, little Anara's eyes screwed up tightly then opened, revealing huge blue orbs, the exact shade as Legolas'. She gazed up at him and he stared down at her in astonishment. He couldn't quite grasp that he had created and carried her inside him and now he was going to lose her before she had even gotten a chance to live – it was too much to process.

"How…how long does she have?" he asked weakly of Elrond.

"Not long," he answered in a hushed tone. Tucking Legolas' hair behind his ear, he smiled sadly. "Try not to think about that. Just concentrate on your daughter."

Legolas nodded but said imploringly, "Don't leave us."

"I'm not going anywhere," Elrond promised firmly. If Sauron and the hordes of Mordor themselves turned up at the gates of Imladris he couldn't be torn away from this room. For now the rest of the world didn't exist; only his family mattered.

Legolas simply couldn't take his eyes off the baby and he knew that, beside him, Elrond felt the same way. Every time she drew in a small but heaving breath he feared it would be her last and that she would be gone from them forever. Her eyes had closed again and she wriggled a little in his arms but even that small action seemed to exhaust her and her breathing became even more strained so both fathers hushed her and gently moved her until she settled once more.

"Legolas, would you like to take a short break?" Elrond asked, noticing after a while that the prince's arms were trembling slightly and his eyelids drooping. After his long labour, the young Elf's body was screaming out for real rest and Elrond feared that he had denied its needs for too long already.

"No, I don't want to leave her," Legolas told him firmly, shaking his head.

"I could hold her for a moment, give your arms a rest," he suggested. The prince must have been shattered and his body was still weak from its trials. "We won't leave the room." Legolas looked up at his partner and seemed to come to a quick decision, perhaps showing just how tired he was. He nodded gratefully and carefully transferred his daughter into Elrond's stronger arms. Legolas practically collapsed back against the pillows, letting his aching, trembling arms fall to the bed in exhaustion. He didn't think that holding the impossibly slight weight of Anara could be so difficult. "She looks like you," Elrond said softly to break the silence, although he kept his voice soft and low out of respect. "She has your colouring and your eyes. As does our son, although I think he will be dark rather than fair like you."

Legolas looked up, startled. What with Anara, he had almost forgotten about the other child. "Is he…?"

"He's fine; in perfect health. The twins and Arwen are with him," Elrond assured quickly, putting Legolas' mind at ease. "He'll need a name soon though."

"I…I can't…" he choked out, running his hand over his eyes.

Had he not been cradling Anara, Elrond would have wrapped the golden Elf in his arms and held him tightly but as it was he didn't have any hands free so he just soothed, "Shh, it's all right. I think he can last without a name for a while longer. I'm sure it'll come to us when we're ready." Legolas nodded and drew in a deep breath then turned his attention back to his daughter. She looked so peaceful snuggled in Elrond's arms, just like any other sleeping baby Legolas had ever seen. If he hadn't had known better he'd have guessed she was sleeping safely rather than desperately struggling for each breath. Legolas raised his hand and stroked her pale cheek but this time she didn't even respond to this and he looked sadly up at Elrond.

The Elven lord slowly sat forward and said, "Put a pillow on your lap." Legolas frowned slightly, his exhaustion-hazed mind unable to figure out the point of what Elrond was asking him to do. "Just do as you're told," he smiled kindly so Legolas gingerly reached behind him to retrieve a soft pillow and, after leaning back, he laid it on his lap. "Now rest your arms on that so you can hold Anara close."

Legolas did so, smiling at Elrond's thoughtfulness as he placed the baby in his arms. "Thank you," he whispered sadly.

Elrond smiled and sat back down, placing one arm around Legolas, which the prince gratefully leaned into, and the other reached out to make contact with his daughter. He noticed how her short, sharp breaths were getting even more laboured and her already pale face was now completely devoid of colour and her mouth gaped open as if gasping in the precious oxygen around her. Elrond felt Legolas shudder against him and looked up to find tears streaming down his face again and he pulled the blonde close again.

Neither could say how long they sat there, staring at their dying child. Minutes seemed like hours in their eyes and yet even this extended perception of time seemed to pass too quickly. Both were secretly terrified that every second would be the last they would get with their fading daughter, so much so that Legolas barely dared to blink; he couldn't stand the thought of wasting even a fraction of a second not looking at Anara.

When Legolas noticed her lips starting to turn a light blue shade, he blinked, wondering if his tiredness was creeping up on him again and he was starting to imagine things. The blue tinge remained though and he looked up sharply to Elrond, who was also frowning now. He ran his finger over her cheek, feeling how cold it was to the touch and Legolas saw tears fill his eyes.

"Elrond?" he managed to choke out.

"Legolas, we need…to say goodbye now. She hasn't got much longer," Elrond answered, his own voice trembling with grief.

"No. No, I can't," Legolas sobbed, shaking his head.

"Legolas…"

"No, you have to do something. You…You're a…a healer. Do something, please," the prince cried haltingly.

"I wish I could; you have no idea how much I wish I could."

"You could try," Legolas snapped angrily. "Please try."

"Legolas, there's nothing…"

As soon as the word 'nothing' left Elrond's trembling lips, a heart-wrenching cry escaped the younger Elf and he sobbed, "Please. Please, I cannot lose her, Elrond. Please…don't…"

"I can't," Elrond cried softly, holding Legolas close. "I'm so sorry." He held Legolas for a minute but then prompted, "Look at your baby, Legolas."

"Our baby," Legolas corrected, but looked down at Anara, whose breathing was almost non-existent now. Elrond nodded and bent down to press a kiss onto her forehead, smoothing her fine, thin hair back with the tips of his fingers. He then sat up so Legolas could do the same.

Not five minutes later, Anara's tiny body gave up on its fight for life. Her chest stilled and she laid limp and unmoving in Legolas' arms, her eyes closed to the world she never had a chance in. A shuddering sob escaped Legolas as the dark-haired healer at his side placed a shaking hand gently against her chest and closed his eyes; feeling for a heartbeat he already knew was no longer there.

"I'm sorry," Elrond whispered, opening his eyes once he had confirmed the terrible truth.

**OIOI**

Glorfindel had spent the better part of the morning pacing the corridor outside the healing hall, restlessly awaiting news and he had recently been joined by Erestor, who merely stood outside the door patiently. Neither knew exactly what they were waiting for but both dreaded the moment they found out.

It was not long after noon that they heard it: the confirmation of their greatest fears, a loud, grief-stricken wail from Legolas, echoed around them, hitting them like a powerful physical force. Both looked up and Glorfindel leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes as tears slipped down his face. Erestor also had tears shining in grey eyes although he didn't allow them to fall.

As Legolas' cries were joined by those of Elrond, Erestor straightened out his robes and said softly, "I should inform the children."

"Thank you," Glorfindel said shakily. He didn't think he could stand breaking the news to Elrond's already upset children. Erestor placed his hand on the seneschal's shoulder as he passed by and Glorfindel smiled at the reassuring gesture. Now all the Elda could do was wait until he was needed and this time he didn't mind standing idly by because the thought of having to do something to comfort the grieving couple filled him with unexpected dread.

**OIOI**

Legolas had lifted his arms from the pillow and was cradling Anara close to his chest as he cried. All Elrond could do was hold his love, rocking gently, as much to comfort himself as the prince. His own tears fell steadily, his grief momentarily overwhelming him. Soon enough though, his mind cleared a little and his attention returned to Legolas, who was crying softly over his daughter. Elrond reached up and pulled Legolas' hair back out of his face, stroking it softly as the prince cried.

It was well past midnight when Elrond broke the tense silence. Legolas' cries had died down a while back as if he no longer had the strength to keep up the expression of his grief. Now he just rocked Anara in slightly trembling arms, humming what Elrond vaguely recognised as a Mirkwood nursery rhyme.

"Legolas," Elrond said in a gentle voice, shattering the peaceful mood. "Legolas, it is getting late. Maybe you should try to get some rest now." Legolas stopped singing and looked up, startled. "We could take Anara into the healing halls while you get some proper sleep. Please, melleth nin; you must be exhausted. You really have to rest." He stroked his pale cheek, wiping away tears.

"No."

"Please, you have to rest," Elrond pleaded kindly.

"I said no," the prince snapped in a husky voice, pulling Anara carefully closer to him.

"Legolas, please lie down for a while. For me," the Elven lord said softly, his hand stroking Legolas' hair back again. "Please."

After a long while of tense silence during which Elrond waited anxiously for the response, Legolas finally spoke so quietly Elrond would have missed it had he not been listening so intensely for the answer.

"All right."

"Thank you," Elrond smiled weakly. Instead of handing Elrond the baby though, Legolas sat up and struggled out of bed, walking shakily to the bathroom. Elrond leapt up and walked beside him, ready to offer support should the prince stumble. He was a little surprised by this, especially seeing as Legolas was still not wearing any clothes and the bandage on his stomach already showed more spots of blood, but he didn't interfere, letting the young Elf do what he needed to do.

Legolas entered the bathroom, leaving Elrond to light the lamps, and placed his precious burden down on the changing table. He unwrapped the soft baby blanket, exposing his child. Walking over to the bag off clothes, Legolas opened it and picked out one of the small outfits that were neatly folded up inside. He took it back to the changing table, pausing only briefly when Elrond laid a dressing gown over his shoulders, tying up the front so he was a little warmer. Legolas smiled weakly at him then went back to his task. He carefully pulled Anara's clothes off her limp body as gently as if she could feel his actions. She was so tiny that even the small clothes they had made for her didn't fit properly and Legolas was forced to roll up the sleeves and legs so she wasn't completely swamped. Elrond watched in silence, tears falling steadily as he watched Legolas tend to his lost child with such care and tenderness. The prince seemed strangely calm as he went about getting Anara ready; no more tears fell from his eyes and his hands were admirably steady.

When he was done, he fetched the blanket and carefully wrapped her up, as if worried she would become cold. Laying her back down, he ran his finger over her soft hair and over her face, wanting to memorise every detail.

Finally, he bent down to kiss her cold forehead and whispered something too quiet for Elrond to hear. Turning, Legolas looked up to Elrond then stepped aside to let the older Elf come forward to say his own farewell to their daughter.

Surprisingly, it was the normally controlled lord of Imladris who couldn't bear to say goodbye to Anara despite his previous advice to Legolas. Now she was actually gone, he felt utterly helpless, unable to do anything, even offer comfort. Bracing himself on the changing table, he bowed his head, sobbing quietly as he looked at his daughter. He felt, after a moment, Legolas' arm slip around his waist and press against him. He stood up and pulled Legolas into his arms, holding him close. A delicate hand ran up and down Elrond's back.

For some reason, the prince felt oddly calm now. Maybe he was just too tired to properly process what had happened or maybe he just couldn't bring himself to accept what he knew to be true. Besides, both parents couldn't fall apart. One of them had to remain in control for their surviving son and Elrond appeared in no fit state to do it right then.

Once he had regained some semblance of composure, Elrond pulled back, kissing Legolas softly before wiping his own face. Drawing in a shuddering breath, he said, "We should take her to the healing halls. We can discuss her…funeral at a later time, when we're both more rested. You go back to bed and try and sleep, I'll take her to…"

"No, I'll come," Legolas told him, pulling away and picking up the well-wrapped Anara.

"Legolas, you need to rest, not…"

"I want to see my son."

Before Elrond could protest, Legolas had walked, rather gingerly, to the door of the healing hall and waited for Elrond to open it for him. Although concerned about the younger Elf, Elrond followed him, pulling the door open.

Glorfindel was waiting outside the door and stood to attention when he heard the couple exit.

To say he was surprised to see Legolas up and about was an understatement. He opened his mouth to speak but was stopped when Legolas smiled grimly at him and walked away. Elrond approached him and they started walking behind the prince.

"My Lord Elrond, I am so very sorry," Glorfindel said softly as they walked.

"Thank you."

"Are you…all right?"

Elrond smiled slightly at the question but answered, "No, not really."

"Of course. I'm sorry. And Legolas?" Glorfindel asked, looking to the prince who was walking slowly ahead of them.

"I'm not sure. Devastated, obviously, but he's holding it together remarkably well. Better than me, I fear. But, to be honest, I don't think it's sunk in yet."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Where are my children?" Elrond asked quickly.

"Still with your son. Erestor had already informed them. I hope we did the right thing."

"Yes, thank you, it was the right thing."

"They are looking after your son. We didn't want to disturb you or Legolas," Glorfindel continued.

"I appreciate it. Glorfindel, could you do something for me?" Elrond asked quietly, noticing they were nearing the other room where their son was.

"Anything."

"I want to take Legolas back to our own rooms. Can you see that they are prepared: warm and ready for the baby. And bring us some hot food; Legolas will need to eat something soon. Also, make sure my healing supplies are in order, I fear I might need them."

"Of course, my Lord. And send for me if you need anything else tonight."

"Thank you, mellon nin."

They had reached the healing hall by now and Glorfindel walked away whilst Elrond opened the door for Legolas to enter. Right away, his other children came forward but Elrond shook his head to keep them from crowding the prince and Legolas walked right past them, seeming not to notice them at all, and laid his daughter down in the empty cot.

Meanwhile, Elrond let his children pull him into a group hug. They all cried quietly but Elrond kept one eye on Legolas as he tucked another blanket around his daughter. After a moment, Elrond pulled back. "You should all go and get some sleep. Thank you for all your help," he smiled genuinely.

"But, Ada, you…" Arwen started to worry.

"We're going to bed as well. Go on, it's been a long couple of days. We'll be fine."

"Are you sure you don't need us, Ada? We could stay here for a little while just in case," Elladan offered, clearly concerned for his father and Legolas.

"And you'll need someone to take care of the little one," Elrohir reminded him.

Elrond shook his head softly. "Legolas will want to keep him close tonight. The healer says he is in perfect health so he can come home with us. Right now, I need you all to go and rest. Go on. We'll be fine," Elrond told them and although they all looked sceptical, they obediently filed out in silence, each giving their father one last hug before they left.

Arwen held him tightest of all and whispered tearfully in his ear, "If you and Legolas need anything…"

"Thank you."

Arwen nodded to him then left as well, closing the door quietly behind her.

As soon as they were alone again, Elrond walked over to the second crib and lifted his small son out, smiling when he gurgled happily and wriggled in his arms.

"Legolas, melleth nin, I think we need to put this little one to bed. Shall we take him to his nursery?"

Having to tear his eyes away from his daughter with great effort, Legolas nodded. His son needed him. "Yes," he said in a weaker voice than he would have liked. Casting one last final sad glance at his daughter, Legolas used every ounce of his will-power to follow Elrond out of the room. That door closing behind them nearly broke his fragile resolve. For some strange reason, it seemed so final, like his daughter really was now beyond his reach. He followed Elrond though, back down the corridor, walking slowly and blindly, as if seeing the world through a haze. Elrond kept his pace slow, knowing his love must have been in some pain and that he was clearly exhausted. It really showed great strength of character that he was still on his feet at all. With the amount of energy he had expended in the labour and the amount of blood he had lost during the actual delivery, he was clearly very weak. Really, he should have been in bed by now and should have stayed there for at least a couple of days to allow himself time to recover from his long birth. Only once he had regained some of his lost strength should he have been allowed to get up and then was only allowed light exercise, nothing strenuous.

The male pregnancy played havoc with the body and it needed time and lots of rest to repair itself and adjust to it new baby-less condition. His recovery would not be quick; if he really recovered at all. Walking around the house was not the best way to treat his shattered body. He supposed though that they had little choice today. As much as he hated seeing Legolas deny his tired body rest, he would never deny him the right way to say farewell to his daughter.

When they reached their chambers, Legolas went in to find all the lamps already lit and the room sufficiently warm. The bed was made and two sets of night-clothes were laid out ready for the couple. Suddenly, that familiar, comfortable bed looked so good that Legolas could have dropped right down into it and fallen into a month-long sleep. There was still his son to consider though so he turned away and went into the nursery instead. The second he stepped over the threshold, a wave of that familiar terror he had experienced during his pregnancy washed over him and he finally understood where it had come from. The feeling of fear and terrific guilt drew the breath from him and he felt his knees beginning to grow weak.

Elrond, meanwhile, placed their still sleeping son in one of the cribs but Legolas' sharp voice stopped him before the baby touched the soft mattress. "No! Not that one," Legolas demanded, coming forward and motioning to the second crib closest to the window.

Although he didn't understand the reasoning behind Legolas' decision, he was willing to indulge his wishes right then so nodded and picked the baby up and placed him in the crib Legolas was standing next to instead. Wrapped in his soft blanket, the baby instantly fell asleep, leaving both fathers to watch him with both sadness and love. Elrond came close to Legolas and put an arm around him and Legolas leaned into him, resting his head against Elrond's shoulder.

Once satisfied that their son was asleep, Elrond said in a whisper, "You need to get some sleep. Let's get you back into bed." Elrond had almost expected the prince to protest, supposing he wanted to stay next to his son, so he was surprised when he nodded wearily. Elrond led him back into the bedroom and helped him to get changed into the thin, loose-fitting nightwear Glorfindel had left them out. "Do you think you could try to eat something?" Elrond asked quietly as Legolas sat down on the bed. He shook his head. He didn't think he had the energy to do anything more. "Will you please try? Even if it is only a couple of bites. For me."

"All right," Legolas sighed, rubbing his hand over his eyes and stifling a yawn.

Elrond picked up the covered plate, revealing a meal of meat and vegetables. The mere smell of it made his own stomach rumble but he had to tend to Legolas first so he left the second plate and picked up the knife and fork. Returning to the bed, Elrond handed the utensils to Legolas and placed the plate on his lap.

"Here, you only have to eat a little," he encouraged and the prince nodded, clearly not happy about it, and started picking at his vegetables. Not only did he feel too tired for this but the pain was starting to grow again, making him feel nauseous once more. However, if it pleased Elrond then he would do it in the hope that he would soon be left alone to sleep. Deep oblivion seemed so good right then.

Whilst Legolas struggled to swallow down his food, Elrond got up and started mixing herbal medicines together in a cup. He was all too aware of how long it had been since Legolas had been provided with any pain relief and he berated himself for being so thoughtless when the younger Elf was clearly in pain. Granted, they both had other things on their minds but that was no excuse. He could make amends for that now though. Tonight he was determined that his love be comfortable. It was the least he could do.

Sitting back down next to Legolas, who was now idly shifting food around his plate, Elrond said, "Just a couple more bites, melleth nin." Legolas slowly co-operated, raising two more small forkfuls to his mouth and forcing them down his throat. He looked imploringly up at the dark-haired Elf and Elrond nodded. "All right, that's enough."

The prince looked extremely relieved as Elrond took the plate away. "Aren't you hungry?" he asked, wincing at his sore throat, still raw from his cries.

"I'll eat as soon as you're settled," Elrond smiled. "Drink this. It'll ease the pain."

"Thank you." He took the glass Elrond offered him and downed the contents. Handing the empty glass back to Elrond, he smiled softly.

"Get some rest now," Elrond told him kindly. "I'll look after our son." Legolas climbed gratefully under the sheets, sinking back against the pillows with a sigh. "Do you need something to help you sleep?"

A small chuckle left Legolas' lips as he answered, "I don't think so."

"All right. Then go to sleep. I'll be right here," Elrond assured him, placing a kiss on his brow. By the time he stood up straight, Legolas' eyes had closed and he had fallen into a much needed sleep.

After walking silently into the nursery to check on his son, Elrond went to sit in the warm lounge to eat his own meal. Despite being well-prepared, Elrond didn't enjoy a single bite of it. He ate only because he knew he had to. Going about the motions offered him a strange comfort and as he downed his glass of wine, he felt himself start to relax a little. For a long while he stared at the fire, marvelling at how the flames lapped upwards, mesmerising him. By the time he had dragged himself over to the bed, kicked off his shoes and climbed fully-clothed under the covers next to his still sleeping love, it was almost dawn. He laid awake, unnecessarily straining his hearing for any sound from his child in the next room but after an hour or so, exhaustion took hold of him and he finally drifted into sleep.

**To Be Continued…**

**Um, please don't kill me. Please, please, please.**

**Oh, but do review…**


	18. All That Is Lost

Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****Yes this is an m-preg, as in male pregnancy. I know anatomically it is impossible in the real world but I like the idea (mainly for the Legolas suffering that goes with it). **

**OIOI**

**Chapter 18 ~ All That Is Lost**

**OIOI**

Glorfindel slipped quietly and carefully from his lord's chambers, pulling the door closed behind him. "Well?" Elladan asked impatiently.

Smiling at his concern, Glorfindel replied, "All three are sound asleep, just as they should be. They could both do with the rest. One of us will stay in the lounge during the day in case the baby needs anything. It will be better not to disturb Legolas and Elrond. They have been through enough already," he sighed.

"We will take it in turns," Arwen suggested.

"I'll take the first shift," Elrohir offered immediately.

"And I'll relieve you in a couple of hours," Elladan put in and everyone nodded, walking away to leave the younger twin to sit with the grieving family.

Surprisingly, Elrohir only had to go into the nursery twice during the morning shift, once to feed and again to change the as yet unnamed baby. Otherwise, the child slept peacefully as did his parents. Elladan relieved him in the afternoon but they all remained quiet, none of them stirring once. When Arwen took over, she readied herself, at her brother's instruction, for a long, uneventful couple of hours. No sooner had she settled back with her book though she heard a gentle murmuring from the nursery and was immediately on her feet and rushing forward. As soon as she opened the door though she realised that she was not needed.

Elrond looked up from bottle-feeding his son when the door opened. "Arwen. What are you doing here?" he asked in surprise, gesturing for her to close the door so they didn't disturb Legolas.

"Supposedly looking after you and the baby," she answered quietly.

"I wondered why he hadn't made a sound."

"Glorfindel suggested that you and Legolas needed the rest so we thought we would stick around to look after the baby for a while," Arwen explained. "How is Legolas?"

"Still asleep as far as I know. And the longer he stays that way the better."

"He must be exhausted after…everything."

"He is," Elrond answered simply, starting to rock gently in the rocking chair by the window.

"And you, Ada? Are you all right?" she asked almost cautiously.

Elrond smiled sadly, not looking up from her son. "I will be, Arwen, in time." There was silence for a while as the baby finished off his milk then Elrond looked up at his daughter. "Could you put him back to bed and watch him for a while? I have to go and see Glorfindel, check everything's all right with him and Erestor."

"Of course I will, Ada, but everything's fine. They have it all under control," she assured as her father stood up. She noticed that he still wore his rumpled tunic and leggings from the past three days and had nothing at all on his feet.

"I just want to see for myself." He handed Arwen the baby, who kicked his legs at being removed from his ada. "I won't be long."

Before she could say anything further, Elrond had fled the rooms, leaving her to tend to the baby. He walked slowly down the corridors to his office. Really he had no valid excuse to leave his son and lover but he needed to do something to occupy his mind, even if only for a short time. He knew perfectly well that between them, his staff could effectively run Imladris for months if required and they were perfectly capable of doing so.

Opening his office door, Elrond looked around. It looked exactly the same as when he'd left it apart from a pile of papers ready for him to sign upon his return on his desk. Glorfindel's office was right next door to his own but Elrond had no wish to sit through a formal report so he closed his door and went to sit behind his desk, leaning back in the chair. Having no real desire to work through the mass of papers, he instead poured himself a glass of wine and closed his eyes in thought.

This wasn't helping. He thought if he could get out of that room, away from all the reminders of his lost child, the pain would ease but it did nothing to ease his grief. Now he just felt removed from the whole thing, like he was betraying the memory of his son by walking away. It seemed he was destined to have his heart broken either way.

How had Legolas managed to pull himself together? How could he be so calm about it all? How could he sleep so peacefully knowing their baby was lost to them forever when it haunted Elrond's every moment?

Tears fell down Elrond's face as these thoughts raced through his mind. How could he blame Legolas for this? Of course the prince felt the same pain he did. And he had every right to sleep. He had the right outlook; they did still have a son to take care of and life did go on even if it was clouded by grief.

Suddenly, unexpected anger washed over him and, feeling almost desperate to do _something_, he sat up and, with a shout, threw his still half full wine glass against the wall. The resulting smashing was oddly satisfying, although his already flimsy barriers cracked and he allowed himself to fall into despair once more. He buried his face in his hands and cried.

He barely noticed when his door opened, revealing a concerned Glorfindel. When the seneschal discreetly announced his presence, Elrond looked up, startled. He tried to hide the fact that he had been crying by brushing the tears off his cheeks with the sleeve of his wrinkled tunic and reaching with his other hand for the papers waiting for him on his desk.

"I thought I'd better get started on these," Elrond told the blonde Elda in a trembling voice, not looking up for fear of what he might see in Glorfindel's eyes.

"My Lord, what are you doing in here?" Glorfindel asked, side-stepping the broken glass and spilled wine on the floor.

"What?" Elrond said in distraction, having to wipe his eyes again as the words blurred once more before him.

"Why are you here?"

"Catching up on work," the Elven lord stated the obvious.

Glorfindel sat down on the chair on the opposite side of the desk, not bothering to wait for Elrond's permission as he usually would. "You shouldn't be here, Elrond. You should be with your family," the seneschal told him in a soft voice. The Elven lord pointedly ignored him and continued reading even though tears still stung his eyes. "Elrond," Glorfindel prompted sharply when he received no response.

"What?" Elrond snapped in annoyance.

"Mellon nin, what are you doing?"

"My job. Rivendell doesn't stop because its lord wants a holiday," Elrond bitterly told him.

Glorfindel looked rather surprised. "You're not on 'holiday', Elrond, and no one thinks you are. And you know fully well that Erestor and I can handle the running of Imladris until you are able to return."

"I am here now," Elrond said shortly.

"Well, you shouldn't be."

"Why not?"

"Because…"

"Because my daughter is dead?" Elrond shouted, finally letting his anger overcome him.

"Elrond…"

"Get out!" the lord yelled but the tears still fell steadily from his eyes.

"Elrond, please…"

"Just go," Elrond said weakly, replacing his face in his hands as sobs overcame him again. He wanted to be alone in his grief; he didn't want even Glorfindel, his oldest friend, to see his weakness. However, a moment later, Glorfindel's hand laid to rest on his hunched shoulder and surprisingly he felt comforted by the strength behind the grip. Deciding that he needed the comfort more than he needed his pride at the moment, he turned in his chair to bury his face in Glorfindel's azure robes as he cried. Glorfindel's hand strayed to his back as he let his old friend cry on him for a time. He knew his lord needed this release.

"I'm sorry," Elrond said, finally pulling away from his seneschal and wiping his tears away.

"There is nothing to be sorry for, mellon nin. You are still grieving," the Elda said kindly. He crouched down so they were level. "But you can't be here right now. You need to be with Legolas. He needs you too."

Elrond scoffed. "He's still asleep."

Glorfindel thought he sounded almost jealous. "That doesn't mean he doesn't need you. And your child also needs you to be there for him. Rivendell is in good hands as you well know."

"I know, mellon nin," Elrond sighed.

The seneschal looked his lord up and down, taking in his appearance then said, "When did you last change your clothes?"

Elrond looked down. "I don't know," he admitted.

"Then go back to your rooms and get into a hot bath, get changed, have something to eat then go back to bed. You must be tired; you've been up for days."

"I've slept already," Elrond protested weakly.

"Then sleep some more. Or just lie down. Be with Legolas, even if he doesn't know you're there. Get some rest. Take as long as you need. Erestor and I have everything under control in the office. Go. I will have some hot food brought to your rooms," he said, taking Elrond's arm and helping him to stand.

"Thank you, Captain," Elrond said rather shakily, smiling at his old friend.

"You are welcome. And no more throwing glasses at the walls," the seneschal joked as he walked Elrond to the door. Elrond chuckled, smiling gratefully at the Elda as he left. With his lord taken care of – for the moment at least – Glorfindel sat down and started working through the papers. Even when Elrond felt ready to return to his office, Glorfindel didn't want him burdened with a lot of work.

**IOIO**

**TWO DAYS LATER…**

The prince was finally starting the long process of physical healing after a long, deep sleep. He was far from fully recovered from his difficult birth and gruelling pregnancy, the pain and tiredness was still an issue but at least he was eating regular meals again and was able to stay awake for a few hours at a time before needing a rest.

There was something they still needed to do though that both were dreading. Tomorrow they would be burying their daughter. Both had been quiet all day beforehand, hardly speaking to Glorfindel or Erestor when they came by to discuss the service. The two had left the rooms and its occupants with a deep sadness that seemed to seep into their very souls.

The couple went to bed early, Elrond sending his twin sons and daughter who had been hovering all evening in concern to bed. After Elrond had put their still-unnamed son to bed, he crawled beneath his own sheets next to Legolas. Despite their best intentions to be in bed early so they were both well-rested for the following day, Elrond found that he just couldn't sleep no matter how hard he tried.

At around midnight, he sighed heavily and looked over at Legolas, who had his back to him as he usually did when he went to bed now. The prince's breathing wasn't deep enough to suggest he was asleep so Elrond placed a gentle hand on his back.

"Are you awake?" he whispered just in case he was mistaken and his love actually was sleeping.

For a moment or two he received no response and Elrond thought that Legolas had indeed managed to fall asleep but then a soft, "Yes," came from the other Elf.

Elrond sat up and looked around. "This is impossible. I can't sleep." Legolas neither responded nor moved and Elrond's gaze drifted down to him again. His face remained hidden but Elrond knew that it was fixed with the same blank look it had worn in the past two days – his stoic mask of indifference. Whilst Elrond, after his minor breakdown in his office, had started to come to terms with his daughter's loss, Legolas seemed unwilling or unable to even face the fact. He either slept or kept up the pretence of looking after his other child.

"Shall I make us some tea? It might help calm us," Elrond suggested. "Elrond?"

"If you want," Legolas replied in a whisper.

Elrond resisted the urge to sigh in frustration; these short, emotionless answers were starting to get to him. If only Legolas would talk to him, let himself be comforted but recently he even resisted being touched by his partner, as if afraid that he would shatter should he reveal his grief. Unfortunately, besides letting Legolas know that he was available when he needed him there was little else Elrond could do. It wasn't like he could force Legolas into talking. He had to let the prince work through this himself, find his own way with dealing with it. As a healer accustomed to dealing with grieving families, he understood and respected this but as a parent and lover he wanted to wrap Legolas in his arms and force him to accept that he wasn't alone and didn't have to deal with his grief by himself.

"Legolas…" Elrond was interrupted by a cry from the nursery. Both parents looked up at the familiar sound but surprisingly it was Legolas who got out of bed first. "Do you want me to…?" Elrond started.

"I've got it." The blonde disappeared into the partially lit nursery and a moment later the crying quietened down a bit. He heard Legolas shushing their son then heard the subtle creaking of the rocking chair. A while after that, he heard Legolas moving around the room, obviously preparing their son some milk and although he was tempted to go in and help, Elrond knew how much his partner hated to be crowded lately. So he just listened intently for any sound that might suggest he was needed.

It was nearly an hour later when Legolas emerged from the nursery although Elrond suspected that he had stayed in there longer than was strictly necessary.

"Is he settled?" Elrond asked when Legolas slipped into bed.

"Yes."

"We really should try to sleep. It'll be a long day tomorrow."

"Fine," Legolas said simply, pulling the sheets around himself and closing his eyes, signalling the end of the conversation between them. Elrond also laid down and once more tried to sleep. In truth though, he didn't think either of them would get much rest that night.

Elrond must have drifted off some time before dawn because movement from the nursery woke him and he found that it was still early morning but that Legolas' side of the bed was empty. Sitting up, Elrond looked around to find the room remarkably tidy. He climbed out of bed and padded toward the nursery where he found Legolas to be already dressed in his funeral clothes and stood getting the baby dressed.

"Good morning," Elrond smiled kindly, running his fingers through his messy hair. "How long have you been up?"

"A while. I wanted to get him ready," Legolas said, buttoning up the small but warm garment he had placed on his son. The baby was squirming, kicking his feet as if to shove his father away but Legolas wasn't deterred and proceeded to pull on the baby's tiny socks.

"Did you sleep last night?" Elrond asked, leaning against the door frame to watch his love work.

"A little," the prince said, which Elrond interpreted to mean 'very little'.

"Are you all right in here whilst I go get ready?"

"Yes."

Before he left, Elrond went over to Legolas and pressed a kiss to his brow. Legolas allowed the contact but didn't react to it at all, not even a small smile passed over his lips. Elrond went into the bathroom and quickly washed and dressed in his funeral clothes. Once he looked presentable, Elrond returned to the next room to find Legolas wrapping their son up in a blanket, sighing when he managed to squirm out of his woollen hat. A small chuckle left Elrond's lips at the sight although Legolas didn't look overly pleased.

Elrond moved to stand behind Legolas and wrapped his arms carefully around him, holding his love close for a long moment. Legolas stood stiffly in his arms although his hands did still on the baby. "Are you going to be all right," Elrond whispered softly.

Slightly offended by the implication that he couldn't handle what was coming, especially seeing as he had spent the entire night mentally preparing himself for it. "Of course," he ground out. Elrond was prevented from saying anything further when a door opened and Legolas said coldly, "Your children are here." He shrugged Elrond off to continue dressing the baby. "You should go and greet them."

"I'll meet you in the lounge," Elrond told him, stepping from the room with relief. He didn't remember ever feeling so awkward around Legolas. Their relationship, once formed, had been so easy. They fit together perfectly without exception. If only it could be that way now. He longed to be at ease with the prince again.

"Ada," Elladan, Elrohir and Arwen all greeted at once when their father entered the lounge. All wore black clothing and all looked like they had already shed tears that morning. "How are you holding up?" Elrohir asked.

"I'm all right," Elrond smiled at their kindness.

"And Legolas? How is he?" Arwen asked sadly, looking towards the bedroom door in concern.

Elrond sighed heavily, shaking his head and running his hand over his tired eyes. "I don't know. I really don't know, Arwen. He's…" He trailed off, not knowing how to continue.

"Should I go and help him with the baby?" Elrohir offered.

The bedroom door opened to reveal Legolas and the prince assured, "No need."

"Legolas," Arwen greeted with a smile.

"Take him," Legolas said, handing the baby over to Elrond, who took him gently. As soon as Arwen saw that Legolas' arms were free she hugged him tightly, slightly surprised that he stood stiffly in her embrace. "Are we ready?" he asked, pulling away and going to the door, not bothering to wait for anyone else.

"Let's go," Elrond prompted, following his partner out, avoiding the questions from the others.

In the main entrance hall, Glorfindel and Erestor were waiting for them along with the lead Imladris healer who had looked after Anara. The sombre healer now carried in his arms a small white coffin which bore the tiny body into the gardens, heading towards Elrond's private gardens where the ceremony would be held. Elrond and the others waited for the healer to walk slowly ahead of them and followed behind. Legolas also dropped back to walk behind the coffin, although he didn't so much as look at anyone else, just kept his eyes straight ahead and his face emotionless. None of the Peredhel family dared to approach him, not quite knowing how he would react.

They gathered around the burial site, which they had chosen earlier and that Glorfindel had ordered to be prepared, not wanting Elrond or Legolas to have to deal with the unpleasant business of the funeral. Elrond moved so he was close to Legolas should he be needed.

The prince didn't even acknowledge him, just stared blankly at the bunches of flowers and lit candles that had been placed under the old oak tree by Imladris' well-wishers. He vaguely wondered when the whole of Rivendell had been told. Elrond must have sorted it all out whilst he was still sleeping. The kindness was not necessarily appreciated though. This should be private, not in the public eye. Apparently, Elrond did have some notion of this as only close friends and family were in attendance.

Surprisingly, or perhaps thankfully, few words were said as each of the family bid their lost child goodbye. When Elrond's turn came, he handed the baby over to Arwen to look after, not wanting to trouble Legolas with the task.

"Goodbye, my little one," he whispered tearfully, placing his palm on top of the small coffin. He closed his eyes and prayed silently to the Valar that his daughter be at peace. Tears dampened his cheeks but he didn't care who saw. Today no one but Anara was in his thoughts. This was the last chance at a final farewell they would have. After a moment, he opened his eyes and took a step back. He went to join Legolas again but the prince ignored him and made no move to go forwards to the coffin despite the fact everyone waited for him to do so.

After a couple of minutes, Elrond moved closer to him and placed a hand on his arm. "Legolas," he said quietly and the prince looked over at him in confusion, as if he didn't know what was going on. "Do you want to say goodbye now?" The young Elf looked rather startled at the suggestion. How was he supposed to say goodbye to his child? Wasn't it bad enough that he had been through it once already? And now he had to do it again, put up the pretence in front of more people. "Legolas?"

Nodding, Legolas stepped forward, bowing his head to look at the small coffin. His child lay in that box for all eternity. Why? How was it fair that little Anara, who had never done anyone any harm, who hadn't even been given a chance to live, was taken away so soon? How could Legolas ever ask for her forgiveness?

He didn't even realise that, for the first time in nearly three days, tears were running freely down his face nor did he realise that the pitiful crying he heard was coming from his own lips. His knees suddenly felt weak beneath him and he slowly sank to the ground, feeling familiar hands guiding him gently down to kneel in the wet grass, holding the now sobbing prince tightly as his own tears fell.

Everyone else in attendance stood back, waiting patiently. All Elrond's children were crying openly at the sight of Legolas brought to his knees by his grief even though they had been half expecting it. Legolas all but fell against Elrond when he felt his arms envelop him, cries wracking his body.

"It's all right, melleth nin," Elrond whispered to the prince, rocking him gently. "It's all right."

As more tears fell from Legolas' eyes, Elrond just held him to his chest, letting him have his cry. No doubt he needed it. After a while, his cries died down and he sat in Elrond's arms, simply feeling his presence surrounding him for the first time in days, his head buried against the Elven lord's chest.

After a few more minutes, Elrond pulled back a little and looked down at his love.

"Let's get you back indoors," the Elven lord said softly, noticing how his love was shivering slightly. The prince's shattered body was still vulnerable to the elements as he slowly recovered his strength and although it wasn't particularly cold out it was chilly and it was already affecting him. Surprisingly, Legolas allowed himself to be pulled up although he was a little shaky and didn't once move away from the dark-haired Elf and Elrond kept his arm around him. He looked up to Arwen and asked, "Could you…?"

She looked down at the wriggling baby in her arms and nodded. "Of course, Ada. I'll take care of him."

"Thank you." Elrond led Legolas away without another word, walking slowly away from the site. Wanting to get Legolas comfortable as soon as possible, he headed straight for the privacy of their rooms. He closed the door behind him, surprised that Legolas still clung to him. Once they were alone, Elrond pulled Legolas tightly against him, enveloped in his arms, and together they cried for their daughter. Their tears mingled and they concentrated solely on the feeling of each other, clinging to one another through their grief.

Only a knock from the door disturbed them from their grief. Arwen, with the baby and the others following behind her, entered as Elrond looked up.

"Oh, we're sorry," Elladan said softly when he saw Legolas with his head still resting on his father's shoulder and that Elrond's face was also tear-streaked.

"It's all right, ion nin," Elrond said, his voice thick with emotion. His children filed in and awkwardly sat down, trying not to be too conspicuous in watching their father. Glorfindel hovered in the doorway should he be needed. Ignoring all of them, he looked down at the blonde Elf in his arms. "Legolas?" he whispered kindly, running his hand up and down Legolas' back.

Legolas raised his eyes, looking tearfully into Elrond's eyes for a second before lowering his gaze to the floor and saying softly, "I want to lie down now."

"I think that's a good idea," Elrond smiled sadly. "Come on." He walked slowly with Legolas into the bedroom and eased him to sit down on the bed. Elrond knelt down and gently took his shoes off. Standing, Elrond wiped Legolas' tears away with his sleeve. "Lie down and try to get some rest, all right?" Legolas nodded and pulled his legs up and Elrond laid a blanket over him before bending over and kissing Legolas deeply. He stroked blonde hair back and whispered, "Sleep." Legolas' eyes fluttered closed and it didn't take long for him to fall asleep.

As soon as he was sure that the prince was sleeping, Elrond left and returned to his children in the lounge. All stood to greet him and almost immediately he found himself crushed between his twin sons. He held them tightly back. He had always known how lucky he was to be blessed with Celebrian's children but right now, he was more grateful than ever that he had them. He just wanted to hold all his children close and never let them go again. Unfortunately, a minute later the twins pulled back.

"You should rest too, Ada," Elladan told his father; it had not escaped his notice how tired Elrond looked.

"He is right, my lord," Glorfindel said firmly, coming forward. "You will eat something then go to bed, even if only for a few hours."

Elrond offered him an amused smile. "Who is the lord of this realm again?"

"Actually, for today I am in charge of the running of Imladris. You are still on leave until Erestor and I tell you otherwise. So I am ordering you to rest and spend some time with your family."

Raising an eyebrow at the Elda, Elrond asked, "Is that so?"

"With your consent, of course, my lord," Glorfindel grinned, bowing mockingly.

"In that case, Glorfindel, Master of Imladris, I shall do as you command." Elrond went over to Arwen and held out his hands for the baby, who he handed over immediately.

"He has been fed, Ada."

His son squirmed in his arms, gurgling happily up at his father. "Then you must be sleepy, little one. Shall we take a nap together?" Elrond cooed to the baby.

"That sounds like an excellent plan," Arwen told him as he herded her two older brothers towards the door. "We will see you later. Rest well, Ada." She shoved the two dark-haired Elves out of the room and then followed them out.

"Don't hesitate to ask if you or Legolas need anything, my Lord," Glorfindel said, going to join them.

"Actually, Glorfindel, you could do something for me now." He looked at the closed bedroom door and seemed to hesitate for a moment. Making up his mind – for better or for worse – Elrond continued, "I need you to do it discreetly and no one else must know about it, especially not Legolas, do you understand?"

With a frown of concern – and no small amount of curiosity – Glorfindel assured, "Of course, my lord." This was by no means the first time he had been sent to perform a task under a cloak of secrecy.

Elrond nodded, satisfied that Glorfindel would honour his wishes, and walked over to his desk. Pulling open a drawer, he reached underneath the papers and to right at the back and pulled out an envelope. He held it in his hand for a moment as if weighing his options then quickly crossed the room and, before he could change his mind, handed the envelope over to Glorfindel, who took it almost nervously. It obviously meant a lot to Elrond and when he saw who it was addressed to, he understood why. Surprise registered plainly on his face and he looked up sharply at Elrond.

"My Lord?" he asked in confusion.

"I want you to see to it that this is delivered to Mirkwood with all haste. Tell the messenger that he is to put this in King Thranduil's hand personally. Make sure he displays no sign that he is from Imladris. The king must read that letter," Elrond instructed firmly but quietly so Legolas didn't hear.

Glorfindel sighed and paused to think for a moment before speaking. "My Lord, may I speak candidly?"

"Always," Elrond nodded.

Standing tall despite his nervousness in asking the question, Glorfindel said, "Are you sure this is wise? King Thranduil is no friend of Imladris as it is, and he will be even less so when he discovers what I presume is in this letter. It does speak of Prince Legolas, does it not?"

"It does," Elrond confirmed, perhaps unnecessarily.

"Then this would confirm Legolas' presence in Rivendell."

"He has been here seven months already and has hardly been secretive. You know how news travels, chances are that Thranduil already knows," Elrond reasoned.

"But this would confirm it."

"I am aware of that," Elrond snapped.

"And yet you're sending it anyway."

"Yes, I am."

"Elrond, does Legolas know you are contacting his father?"

"No. And it will stay that way until I decide otherwise," Elrond said firmly.

"With all due respect, my Lord, do you think it is appropriate to be sending word to Thranduil without Legolas' knowledge. The king has banished him from Mirkwood, has he not lost the right to be in contact with his son?" Glorfindel asked, knowing he was stepping perilously close to the line.

"No matter what has happened between them, they are still family," Elrond answered rather coldly. He was beginning to regret granting free speech to his seneschal.

"I am not sure Legolas would agree."

This was a step too far and Elrond commanded, "That is not for you to decide. I am not doing this lightly, Glorfindel. I have put a lot of thought into this decision and I am well aware of the consequences. Please see to it that the letter is sent as soon as possible."

"May I ask what it says?"

"No, you may not," Elrond told him bluntly, clearly signalling that the conversation was well and truly over. "Please see that it is delivered."

Glorfindel understood that the time for discussion was over and that he had been given an order, which he was obliged to obey. He would, of course, do as asked. He trusted Elrond's judgement above all else. Elrond had always protected Rivendell and its people and Glorfindel was confident that he would do nothing to jeopardise it safety, not even for his love for Legolas.

"As you wish, my lord," Glorfindel said with a low bow.

He turned to leave but as he opened the door, Elrond's much softer voice said, "Thank you for your help today. Both Legolas and I really appreciated it."

Glorfindel smiled sadly. "Of course, my lord. I'll be nearby if there's anything more I can do." Elrond nodded gently so Glorfindel stepped into the corridor and pulled the door closed as quietly as possible, secretly glad to be out of the room. As one of Elrond's chief advisors he was used to confrontation and he knew that Elrond valued honesty of both his seneschal and major domo provided him with on all matters. Very often, they would argue of matters of policy or the general running of Imladris but both knew fully well that at the end of the day Elrond's word was final. The Peredhel ruled Rivendell well, serving the haven faithfully no matter what challenges he was faced with. The Last Homely House offered protection and sanctuary to all who required it and despite his concerns, Glorfindel knew that Elrond would do nothing to risk the peace he had created over the years.

After Glorfindel left, Elrond went straight to the nursery, intending to put his son to bed. A quick nappy change later and the baby was placed gently in his cot where he almost immediately fell asleep. For a while, Elrond just watched him, once more marvelling at this brand new life. Although slightly smaller than average the baby was simply perfect, right down to his tiny little fingers and toes, the head of dark brown hair that resembled his own and bright blue eyes that unquestionably came from Legolas' side of the family, the warm, smooth skin, the small ears with their delicately pointed tips identifying him as unmistakably Elven.

"You are always going to be loved, penneth. Forever. By both your fathers," Elrond whispered, running his finger over the baby's cheek.

Forcing himself away from the nursery, Elrond kicked off his shoes and climbed into bed behind Legolas and leaned forward, placing a light kiss on the golden prince's cheek. "I love you so much," he breathed, smoothing Legolas' hair back. "Thank you for giving me my beautiful son."

Legolas just sighed softly so Elrond laid back, pressed close to his love and let his eyes slip out of focus.

**To Be Continued…**


	19. Beginning Family Life

Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own anything Tolkien created. Nope, not a thing.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****Yes this is an m-preg, as in male pregnancy. I know anatomically it is impossible in the real world but I like the idea (mainly for the Legolas suffering that goes with it). Please, if you are dead set against this kind of thing then don't read then complain that you weren't warned.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 19 ~ Beginning Family Life**

**OIOI**

Two days had passed since the funeral and it seemed that now the whole pregnancy, labour and loss had hit Legolas full force and he found himself mostly staying in bed, leaving Elrond to look after the baby, which he was perfectly happy to do. The prince obviously needed the rest and everyone tried to accommodate that need.

Unfortunately, that day Elrond had been called away to deal with a problem with the Human diplomats still in residents in Imladris. They had been feeling rather neglected lately by the Lord of Imladris. When Elrond had returned late that evening he had found both Legolas and their son sound asleep. Exhausted himself from smoothing the diplomats' ruffled feathers and offering explanations as to his recent absence, Elrond quickly shed his formal robes and crawled into the bed next to Legolas. Within minutes he too was fast asleep, slightly disappointed that his break from the dull and frankly pointless negotiations was over. His attentive staff may have been able to handle the running of Imladris but there were still some things Elrond had to do himself, which unfortunately included pleasing the visiting Men.

It was gone midnight when something disturbed Legolas from his peaceful rest. Forcing his tired eyes open, he glanced around the dark room but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Assuming it was his tired mind playing cruel tricks on him, Legolas snuggled down, shifting position to ease the pain that still remained in his stomach and closed his eyes. Before he could drift off again, the noise came again only this time it was loud enough for him to identify as a baby crying.

He tried to put the crying from his mind and go back to sleep but he found worry gnawing at him and realised that no matter how tired he was or how much pain he was in, he couldn't ignore his son if he was in distress. He sat up and ran a hand down his face. With a yawn, he looked down at Elrond but his partner remained fast asleep beside him, blissfully unaware of the crying. Legolas thought Elrond looked more tired than he remembered and must have been worn out to sleep so deeply.

As the screaming from the nursery continued, Legolas dragged himself out of bed, bent to put on his slippers and pulled his dressing gown on with another yawn. He walked quietly into the nursery and lit the lamp so he could see what he was doing. Stepping up to the crib in which his son laid screeching, his face red and screwed up, his little hands made into fists that flailed in the air as if in indignation at being ignored for so long. Pointedly ignoring the silent and empty second crib, Legolas leaned over and lifted the squirming bundle out of his cot, resting him against his shoulder.

"Shh, shh," Legolas hushed, jiggling the baby up and down in an attempt to calm his cries. His attempts proved fruitless though and the child just screamed louder. He decided that a walk around the nursery might help but apparently he was wrong. Next he tried a late-night feeding but when he held the bottle to his mouth the baby only shoved it away with his hands and screamed, if possible, even louder. He stood up and instead positioned himself in the rocking chair and started singing the first song that came to his tired mind. For a moment the crying eased but then it resumed at its pervious volume so Legolas stood up and started pacing again.

"Please just go to sleep," Legolas muttered, rocking the baby in his arms. "Go back to sleep." Feeling his arms starting to ache unbearably, he laid the child back in his cot and ran his hand over his tired eyes. "What is wrong?" he asked desperately as if the days-old baby could somehow answer him.

His body was beginning to tire again and all he really wanted to do was crawl back into bed and go to sleep. He was already exhausted but being on his feet was tiring. The incessant screaming was making his head pound annoyingly until he couldn't even think straight. Tears filled his eyes and he closed them in despair. "Please stop," he breathed, wiping tears from his cheeks. "What is the matter?"

He placed the back of his cool hand against his son's cheek and was suddenly much more alert and clear-headed. The baby was far too hot. Panic raced through him and he gently scooped the tiny Elfling up and walked as fast as he could into the bedroom, single-handedly lighting the lamp and turning it up so the room was illuminated.

"Elrond," Legolas said over the baby's now quieter cries as if sensing that his father was finally doing the right thing. The Elven lord didn't stir so Legolas walked over to the bed and, shifting the baby in his arms, tapped Elrond on the shoulder. "Elrond, wake up." The older Elf just shifted and went back to sleep. Grabbing Elrond's shoulder, Legolas called loudly, "Elrond, wake up now."

Shifting again, Elrond's eyes opened and he looked up blearily at whatever had disturbed him. "Legolas? What are you doing?"

"You have to look at him," Legolas said quickly, not really answering Elrond's question.

Pushing himself into a sitting position, Elrond asked, "What's wrong?" Valar, he was tired. Surely Legolas understood that and shouldn't be waking him at such an hour, especially as he was enjoying the best sleep he had gotten in ages.

"He won't stop crying and he's so hot, Elrond. I think he's sick," Legolas hurried out.

Elrond looked Legolas up and down then asked, "How long have you been up?"

"Just look at him, please. Something's wrong, I know it is," the young blonde Elf cried, bordering now on panic.

"All right, just calm down," Elrond told him soothingly, pushing the covers back and climbing out of bed. "Here, let me take a look." He held out his hands and Legolas handed the crying baby over gently and with no small amount of relief. Elrond cradled him in his arms, rocking slightly until the crying slowly calmed and the Elfling just laid quietly and peacefully in his calming embrace.

Legolas couldn't understand how his partner could be so calm and relaxed when he himself was strained and panicked. He watched as Elrond talked quiet nonsense, smiling when blue eyes looked up at him. Legolas found himself growing slightly jealous of Elrond. He had been up for hours trying everything he could to comfort his screaming son with no success then Elrond comes in and almost immediately the baby laid quietly.

"There you go. No more fussing," Elrond whispered to the baby who seemed to be rapidly falling into sleep. He carried the baby slowly back into the nursery with Legolas hovering close behind him. Putting the now sleeping baby back in his crib, Elrond wrapped the blanket around him.

"He…He had a fever," Legolas stuttered quietly.

Elrond placed the back of his hand against the baby's forehead and smiled. "He is a bit warm but it's nothing to worry about," he said softly, pulling back. He led Legolas back to their room, lowering the lamp again so the room was darker. He then half closed the nursery door and turned to Legolas, looking at him closely and noting how tired he was. "He is fine, melleth nin. No need to panic." He placed his hands on Legolas' arms, running them up and down calmingly.

Legolas shook his head. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Stop him crying. I tried everything, Elrond, but he wouldn't stop screaming," Legolas told him despairingly.

Elrond shot him a lop-sided grin and offered, "Magic touch?"

"Why couldn't I do it, then?"

"He just needed a fresh, calm pair of arms, that's all." Unsurprisingly, this didn't make Legolas feel any better; in fact, it made him feel even more of a failure. He ran his hand over his eyes and sighed. "Melleth nin, you look exhausted. How long have you been up?"

"A few hours," Legolas sighed.

"Hours? Legolas, you should be resting."

"I couldn't leave him crying," the prince protested.

"You could have woken me."

Legolas shook his head and said, "You were tired, I didn't want to disturb you."

"And you're not tired? Come on, I think you should sit down before you fall." The young Elrond really did look ready to drop, hardly surprising given that he was still recovering. Legolas let himself be led over to the bed and he sat down, looking, if possible, even more defeated than before. "You can't push yourself like this," Elrond said softly, taking Legolas' slippers off his feet for him.

"He wouldn't stop crying. What am I doing wrong?"

Elrond sat down and pulled Legolas into his arms, pleased that he leaned into the embrace. Brushing tears from Legolas' face, Elrond answered, "You're not doing anything wrong. He's sleeping now, isn't he?"

"Only because of you."

"Legolas," Elrond smiled.

Elrond sat back a little so he could look directly at the prince. "Hey, stop that right now. You are doing fine, melleth nin. Don't forget that not only am I far older than you with thousands of years of experience in the healing halls behind me but I have also already raised three children so have had plenty of practice. Once you have had to deal with Elladan and Elrohir screaming at all hours of the day you can handle pretty much anything," Elrond smiled soothingly. "It will just take you some time to get used to it, that's all."

"I can't even calm my own child when he is upset," Legolas told him thickly. "I didn't know what he wanted and he wouldn't stop crying no matter what I tried. What if I can't ever do it? What if I can't ever look after my own baby? Elrond, what if I'm a terrible father?" Legolas cried.

"You are not a terrible father, Legolas. You never could be. It has only been a couple of weeks. How could you possibly know what kind of parent you will be?"

"I should be able to do it though. It should be easy," Legolas sounded childlike himself what at his most vulnerable.

"Who says? You honestly believe that I didn't have to work at it when I first became a father? It takes time and practice. You are yet new at this. Just trust your instincts, remain calm, ask for help when you need it and you'll be fine," Elrond assured, rubbing Legolas' back, knowing how it soothed him.

Legolas laid his head against Elrond's shoulder and sighed, "I'm sorry."

Pressing a kiss into golden hair, Elrond said, "You have nothing to be sorry for, Legolas. You've been through a lot lately. Of course you're tired. You need to rest, my love."

"It's been a long year," Legolas sighed wearily.

"I know."

For a while they sat quietly in each other's arms, Legolas leaning heavily against his partner. After a few minutes, Elrond pressed a kiss to Legolas' cheek and said, "You need to get some sleep, melleth." Legolas just nodded. He really couldn't agree more. Bed sounded like such a good idea; his tired body really did need to rest. Before either of them could move though, the baby in the next room started crying again. Both sat up straight and looked to the nursery door. Elrond glanced over at his love and saw the despairing look on his pale face, almost like he was about to burst into tears. Leaning forward, Elrond kissed Legolas' forehead gently and said, "I'll go see to him. You go back to sleep."

Legolas raised his eyes and protested, "I can't leave you to…"

"Of course you can," the healer interrupted. "I'll take care of it."

"But I thought you had to go back to the office tomorrow."

"I do but I am far better rested than you are and you need the sleep more than I do right now."

"But…"

"Legolas, I am in a far better state to look after him right now, plus I have the added advantage of not being close to collapsing from exhaustion." He moved a passive Legolas to lie back. "Now, go back to sleep and let me take care of the baby, all right?" He pulled the covers over Legolas, making sure he was comfortable before kissing his lips softly. "Go back to sleep."

"Thank you," Legolas whispered as Elrond walked to the nursery to tend to the screeching baby. A moment later, he walked back out, rocking their son in his arms.

"We are fussy tonight, aren't we?" he cooed quietly. "Why don't we take a walk and leave your daddy to sleep in peace?" His son just cried louder, kicking his small feet. "All right," Elrond laughed, taking that as an agreement. "Go to sleep, my love," Elrond told Legolas. "We'll be back once he's settled down a bit."

"Thank you," Legolas repeated from the bed, pulling the sheets tightly around him. Elrond just smiled as his exhausted partner's eyes fell closed and, despite his worries, fell into a much-needed sleep.

It took nearly an hour before the baby calmed again and Elrond felt it was safe to return him to the nursery. The little Elfling had clearly tired himself out as he remained fast asleep as Elrond placed him down in the crib. Once he was certain the child was settled, Elrond crept from the nursery and returned to his own bed. As he slipped under the covers, Legolas stirred, opened his eyes and went to speak but Elrond got there first and assured, "Everything's fine. He's back next door. Go to sleep." Elrond wrapped his arms around the prince and together they fell back into sleep, the nights' events taking their toll on their already tired beings.

**OIOI**

**One Week Later…**

Duty forced Elrond back to his office. He could quite happily have stayed with his partner and child for several more weeks but unfortunately the Human diplomats would no longer tolerate his absence despite Glorfindel's and Erestor's best efforts to placate them. They had gotten very little done in the weeks Elrond had been gone and now even upon his return things had well and truly ground to a halt. Still, they endured the long meetings, listening as the discussions went around and around in circles, getting no where but to the brink of frustration.

Neither side could really agree on anything anymore - and some were beginning to forget why they were even bothering to negotiate. The frustrating thing for Elrond was that the Men, who had been so accommodating in the beginning, were now being completely unreasonable in their ridiculous demands. Everyone with even an ounce of political savvy knew that to get something you had to give something in return. The Men wanted to trade openly with Rivendell, which naturally also benefitted the Elven realm but they demanded that not only should the Elves construct a suitable road for tradesmen but should also maintain it. This wouldn't have been a problem had they been offering their aid in building it – contributing to the labour and materials – but they claimed it was the responsibility of the Elves not the Men. Naturally, the Elven diplomats were reluctant to agree to such a one-sided proposition. What was even worse was that the Men were now also refusing any role in guarding or maintaining the proposed road. In short, they were asking for something from the Elves but were unwilling to offer anything in return.

At first, the Human diplomats had seemed willing to negotiate and they had been able to lay out what looked to be a workable plan. Now though, they refused to budge in any way. And so negotiations had come to an abrupt halt and Elrond was stuck in the room with pointless, unmovable diplomats rather than being at his love's side where he believed he was really needed. He understood that the younger Elf was nowhere near recovered and that during the day he was left all alone with the baby, who actually still did not have a name. For some reason they had just not gotten around to it yet. Usually, the Elven parents named their children instinctively when they were born but nothing about the past few weeks had been usual. They had had far more important things to worry about so the child remained nameless.

Finally, after spending all day pointlessly arguing, Elrond told Glorfindel to call for lunch so everyone could calm down and return to the table with a cool head. For once, even the patient Glorfindel and Erestor looked relieved that they could escape the conference room and take a break.

"I'm going to check on Legolas," Elrond told his seneschal once the room was clear.

"How is he?" the blonde Elf asked, tidying up the papers on the table.

Elrond ran his hands over his face. "Oh, I don't know, Glorfindel. He's…" He shrugged helplessly, not knowing how to finish. Honestly, he wasn't sure how Legolas was. Usually, he left early in the morning before Legolas or the baby woke and the prince needed his rest too much to be disturbed. Elrond knew very well that he often had to get up several times a night to feed, change or just settle their son and he also knew that the disturbances were taking their toll on the prince. By the time Elrond got home in the evening, they were both so tired that they went straight to bed and so the cycle continued.

Glorfindel placed his hand on his friend's shoulder and said, "Go and see the prince."

"I'll be back soon. Please make sure they don't murder each other in my absence."

"I will do my best, my Lord, but I can't promise anything," Glorfindel sighed as they parted ways.

On his way to his rooms, Elrond stopped at the kitchens to pick up some lunch for both him and Legolas. As he approached their chambers, the sound of crying filled the hallway and Elrond sighed. When he had left that morning, Legolas had been up with the screaming baby and it seemed that he was keeping up his almost constant crying.

He opened the door to find a rather harassed-looking Legolas strolling around the living room with his son in his arms. The prince looked up when he heard someone enter and Elrond noticed the wrinkled clothes, the unkempt hair and the dark circles beneath his eyes, suggesting he hadn't managed to get much rest so far that day.

"Still crying?" Elrond commented as he closed the door behind him. He had to step over a pile of clothes to reach the table and noticed that the room was now in even more disarray than it had been that morning. It was a far cry from the normally pristine cleanliness the prince insisted upon.

"He had a five minute break to swallow some milk but…" The baby gave a loud squeal as if to finish his father's sentence for him.

"I brought us some lunch," Elrond smiled sympathetically.

"Why won't he stop crying?" Legolas asked almost desperately.

"He is a baby, Legolas. He cries a lot; it's what they do," Elrond grinned but it fell from his face when Legolas shot him a cold glare. Realising that Legolas was actually genuinely overwhelmed, Elrond stepped forward and offered, "All right, let me have a go." He gently took the baby from Legolas' arms and started rocking him. Amazingly, the Elfling immediately calmed in Elrond's arms and Legolas ran his hand over his eyes in despair. He had been trying to settle him all day with no luck and Elrond only had to hold him before he became quiet and still. "There we go," Elrond smiled down at his son. "All better."

"How…?" Legolas stopped himself, shaking his head in disbelief. He simply didn't understand how his partner managed to do it. Elrond never seemed fazed by anything; he took everything in his stride, always remaining calm in the face of the crying, whilst all Legolas could do was slowly falling apart. After hours of walking around his legs ached, his feet hurt, his back burned, his head was pounding, his stomach hurt and he was so tired he couldn't think straight. "I can't do this," Legolas whispered tearfully.

"What are you talking about? You're doing just fine."

Legolas shook his head and ran his fingers through his messy hair. "Why can't I take care of my own baby?"

"Legolas, come on…"

"No," the prince yelled, startling Elrond into silence. "Don't tell me I'm doing fine. I'm not! I've been holding him and singing to him, I've fed and changed him and bathed him and he just keeps screaming. And then the second you pick him up, he's…look at him, he's fine. What is wrong with me?"

"Nothing is wrong with you."

"Then why can't I calm him? You can just…do it naturally but I…" The baby started crying again as Legolas' voice rose in volume. "Why won't he stop crying?"

"Hey, calm down," Elrond said, rocking his son again. "You are not doing anything wrong." Elrond reached out his free hand and pulled Legolas towards him and into a hug, being careful of the baby, who laid in the crook of his other arm. "Come here." He held Legolas tight to him. "Listen to me, you are doing just fine but you need to stop being so hard on yourself. Working yourself into frustration isn't going to help. You need to keep calm."

"I can't do this, Elrond," Legolas cried onto the Elven lord's shoulder.

"Of course you can. You're just tired, you need to rest, melleth nin."

"How can I when he keeps crying?"

Elrond hesitated then brought up the subject that had caused rather a lot of tension between them whenever they spoke about it. "We could always provide a nurse…"

"No," Legolas said firmly, standing up straight.

"Legolas, if you had some help…"

"Elrond, no."

He already knew that he couldn't win this argument so Elrond nodded. "All right." He placed his hand against Legolas' cheek and asked, "Are you in pain?" The fact that Legolas was still not well had not escaped Elrond's notice and if he was truthful, he was actually worried. Legolas just lowered his eyes, which Elrond took to be confirmation of his pain. "I'm going to make you something to help." Elrond saw Legolas opening his mouth to protest and assured, "Nothing too strong, just to make you comfortable. I don't want you to be in pain." He went into the nursery and laid the baby in his crib, where he quietened down again. "Now, have you had anything to eat today?"

Legolas scoffed and rubbed his eyes. "You're joking. I haven't even had time to go to the bathroom."

Gently pushing Legolas into the bathroom, he said, "Right, you go to the bathroom, get changed and then I want you to sit down and eat something."

"But…"

"Go on, I have an hour or so before I have to leave. I'll watch the baby for a while." He briefly pulled Legolas into a hug then told him, "Go on."

"Thank you," Legolas said, dashing off while he had the chance, closing the bathroom door behind him.

Whilst Legolas was getting washed up, Elrond changed the baby and ensured he was settled. "You are pushing your ada too hard, little one," he said softly before returning to the lounge. Legolas appeared only a minute later in clean clothes but still looking just as frazzled as he had done before. "Feel a little better now?" The prince nodded slightly. "Have something to eat, melleth."

"I'm not really hungry," Legolas said around a yawn.

"Maybe not but you still have to eat. Just have something, Legolas, please."

"Fine," Legolas sighed, sitting down heavily on the couch and taking the plate from Elrond. He managed to clear the plate within minutes, realising that for the first time in days he actually felt hungry. Placing the plate back on the table, Legolas sat back with a sigh and closed his eyes. He felt Elrond shift to sit next to him and the soft fingers were working over his scalp, easing his headache. His head fell to rest against Elrond's shoulder. Five minute's sitting down wouldn't hurt.

Elrond looked down when he felt Legolas' head droop against his shoulder and smiled gently. He wasn't really surprised that the Elf was sleeping. He really was exhausted. Elrond remembered how tired Celebrian had been after she had had his older children, a tiredness that would have been even more pronounced after a _male_ pregnancy and delivery. He wished he could have stayed with Legolas all the time but Rivendell needed her lord. He could, however, spend this time with him even if it was only an hour, or an hour and a half at a stretch. His fingers stilled and he closed his eyes, merely enjoying the feel of Legolas' body pressed against his own. What with everything that had happened with Anara, taking care of their son and trying to work through negotiations they had spent very little time together even though both craved the contact so desperately.

The Elven lord must have fallen asleep, as the next thing he knew there was a hand on his shoulder shaking him gently from his reverie. He blinked to clear his eyes and found Glorfindel bending down looking at him in concern.

"Glorfindel?" he muttered softly.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, my lord, but the diplomats are waiting in the conference room," Glorfindel told him in a whisper.

Frowning, Elrond looked down to find Legolas still asleep against him, his long blonde hair falling over his face. A smile replaced concern at the sight of his love so peaceful. "I'll be right there," Elrond told the seneschal quietly and waited until he heard Glorfindel leave before placing a kiss on Legolas' forehead. Despite wanting to stay like this forever, Elrond carefully moved Legolas' arm from around his chest and slipped out from under him. He eased Legolas to lie down on the couch, placing his head on a soft cushion. The action disturbed the prince though and blue eyes fluttered open. "Shh, I have to go now." Legolas moaned and buried his face into the pillow beneath him. "I'm sorry, melleth nin. The baby is sound asleep so you stay in here and get some sleep, all right?" Elrond whispered as he draped the throw from the back of the sofa over the prince. "I'll be back as soon as I can. I love." Legolas just nodded slightly, already half asleep again. Elrond bent down and kissed his cheek softly before whispering, "Sleep well."

Having to force himself out of the door, Elrond met Glorfindel in the corridor and they trudged back to the meeting, wishing for all the world that he was in that room with Legolas instead.

Not half an hour after Elrond opened the door, Legolas' restful peace was disturbed by a gentle crying and he opened his eyes with a heavy sigh of dismay. For a minute or two, he just laid there, praying the baby would settle and he could go back to sleep. It was not to be as the child's cries intensified once more. Knowing he couldn't leave him when he was crying, Legolas shrugged his cover off and forced himself to sit up. It took him a moment to regain his equilibrium but he pulled himself to his feet and shuffled rather clumsily to the nursery for another round of crying. When he had discovered his condition and learned what being pregnant entailed it had been the physical process he had feared and dreaded but now that the baby was actually here he was finding this infinitely more difficult. How did people manage to do this every single day? Suddenly, he had even greater respect for his father, who had been forced to raise his son all by himself after his wife had been killed. Legolas had Elrond by his side, loyally staying with him, but with Elrond gone from the rooms so much, Legolas felt that he may as well have been all on his own. It wouldn't have been so bad had he felt constantly refreshed and calm but every second he was on his feet made the pain in his back and stomach worse and he felt so weak and tired sometimes that he thought he could just crawl into bed and stay there forever. The baby's crying grated on his nerves until his head pounded and he was ready to scream in frustration. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he had felt good although he presumed it was just over twelve months ago before all this had started. If only he could have just one minute of feeling normal again, but that wasn't likely to happen now. No, he had ignored his father's warnings and this was his life now.

**OIOI**

**Mirkwood…**

"I am to hand this message to your king personally," Rivendell's fastest messenger told the forest patrol blocking his way at the palace gates. Two of Rivendell's own guards flanked the messenger, which should have demonstrated just how important this delivery was.

"Hand it to me," the tall blonde Mirkwood Elf commanded, holding out his hand for the letter. "I will see the king gets it."

"My orders are to place the letter in King Thranduil's hand personally," the messenger repeated.

"And my orders are to keep the stronghold secure."

"You may take our weapons but I must deliver this letter to the king."

"Not on my watch you won't," the taller Elf said.

"Then I will wait."

"Fine. Watch out for Spiders."

The messenger turned to consult his fellow travellers whilst the Mirkwood Elves shrank back to shoot scathing looks at the visitors. This wasn't going to be as easy as they had originally thought. On only a few occasions had Imladrian messengers been required to deliver letters or parcels to Mirkwood but they had always been welcomed into the protection of the palace and treated with stiff respect if not genuine kindness. This was, presumably, mainly due to the fact that most of the time Prince Legolas remained within its borders and he had more affection for the Imladrian Elves than the king did. Legolas' relationship with Rivendell's lord meant that channels were open between the two kingdoms, especially seeing as many communications were exchanged between them when they were separated. Whereas Thranduil had merely tolerated the visiting messengers when they came, Legolas seemed to wish their presence constantly then when they did arrive and he was at home rather than patrolling the forest he insisted they stay and lavished them with all of Mirkwood's luxuries until they left again with gifts to their lord and personal letters the prince wrote every week. In time, the occasional journey to Mirkwood had become looked upon as quite a treat for the messengers, who spent most of their time on the roads. That seemed to have changed now in the prince's absence and Mirkwood's borders seemed virtually impenetrable, especially seeing as there was no Legolas there to clear the way for them.

It was common knowledge that King Thranduil did not always approve of his son's affiliation with Imladris or its lord but that he tolerated it because it made the prince happy but now that Legolas no longer lived in Mirkwood and had disassociated himself with his home Thranduil really had no reason to have any kind of communication with Rivendell. The trade agreements and treaties between them were long-standing and didn't require the two kingdoms to interact.

The messenger, used to riding between Rivendell and Mirkwood, now wished that the ever-friendly prince was there to greet him. These guards were not at all friendly. In fact, so far they had been downright hostile.

As the Rivendell Elves settled in for a long wait, having no intention of leaving until they had completed their tasks, the Mirkwood guards retreated to the trees to properly discuss what to do next. Their king's orders that no Elf from Rivendell was to enter the palace still stood but they could hardly have three Noldorin Elves standing outside the gates for Valar knew how long and they knew just how patient messengers could be when needed. It seemed therefore that a compromise was called for.

The messenger started when the patrol rapidly fell gracefully out of the tree, weapons in their hands at the ready. The patrol leader stepped forward so the Rivendell Elves too stepped forward hoping for something useful.

"We will escort you," he pointed to the messenger with his sword, "into the palace. Your guards can stay here. I will leave it up to the king whether to accept your presence or not."

"Fine," the messenger said quickly.

But the Rivendell guards had other ideas. "No, that is not acceptable. We will not be separated." He stepped forward to confront the taller Elf, his hand going discreetly to the hilt of his sword at his side. "I have orders too, Captain." And very explicit orders they were too. Captain Glorfindel had made it clear that they were to escort the messenger to and from Mirkwood and make absolutely certain that he was able to deliver whatever it was he carried. It was unusual that messengers should have guards with them – in fact, it only ever happened if they were delivering official and important documents, which they knew he wasn't – as they claimed it only slowed them down. The seneschal had told them that this mission was of the upmost importance to their lord though and all were determined that it went smoothly.

Meeting the challenge, the Mirkwood guard raised his weapon and towered over the dark haired Elf. "Then no one will enter," he growled.

"Be that as it may, we are not leaving."

All Elves were suddenly on alert, feeling the growing tension and animosity in the air. Hands tightened on weapons and stances were firmly planted ready for a fight.

"May I have a word?" the messenger prompted his guards. With caution bordering on reluctance, the guards nodded and sheathed their weapons as they stepped away, their eyes never once leaving their Mirkwood counterparts. "My job is to deliver this letter to King Thranduil and it is vital that I do so. If this is the only way to do that then I am willing to take the risk."

"Well, I am not. Our job is to protect you. We have no intention of doing anything less."

"What do you think they're going to do to me?" the messenger asked incredulously. "If they do mean me any harm, then I don't think two extra people are going to make much difference against the whole of Mirkwood's army." The guards rolled their eyes at the other Elf. "Come now, if I'm not out by nightfall you can storm the keep," he chuckled, patting the soldier's arm.

The guard frowned and asked, "What is in that message that's so important?"

"That is none of your concern," the messenger answered coldly. There was, of course, no way could he tell anyone but the king himself what the letter contained. The messenger's code, not to mention Glorfindel's orders, forbade it.

"Very well," the guard sighed and let the messenger past him.

"I am ready. Take me to your king."

The Mirkwood Elf nodded but then an Imladrian sword was pointed threatening at him. "He had better come out unharmed. A single scratch on him and I will hold you personally responsible."

Surprisingly, the tall blonde Elf nodded then called for the great gates to be opened and led the messenger inside towards the throne room. Now away from his companions, the messenger almost regretted sending them away. Never before had he felt so threatened delivering a simple letter. Of course, whenever entering Mirkwood one always felt observed but never to this extent. It was rather disconcerting and he found himself fearing what was coming.

"Wait here," the tall Elf commanded, stopping outside the tall doors.

The messenger hardly dared to move as he waited, flanked by several armed guards. The patrol leader had disappeared through the throne room doors. Nerves fluttered in him as he approached the king.

"Your Majesty," he greeted, sinking down onto one knee, bowing his head and placing his hand on his heart in salute.

Looking up from what he was reading, the king said, "What is it? Problems with the Dwarves again?"

The guard looked up. "No, my lord. There is a messenger here…from Imladris. He insisted upon seeing you personally."

"Rivendell?"

"Yes, Sire."

"What is it about?"

"I am uncertain, Your Majesty. He would not say."

Thranduil shook his head dismissively and lowered his eyes back to the papers he was holding. "You deal with him, I don't have time."

Nervously, the guard persisted, "My Lord, he said that he was commanded to hand you the message personally and to no one else."

"For Valar's sake. Am I to have no peace?" Thranduil yelled, making the guard jump. "Send him in then if you must."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the guard said, leaping up, bowing low and rushing to the door to summon the messenger. "You can go in now. Good luck," he told the nervous Imladris Elf.

"Thank you." Taking a deep breath, the messenger entered the throne room and stepped towards the king. He bowed and extended his arm in a formal greeting. "Well met, King Thranduil. I offer you our warmest greetings from my Lord and Riv…"

"Get on with it. I am busy. What do you want?" Thranduil said, looking up from his papers, cold blue eyes meeting warm grey.

The messenger retrieved the letter from the bag at his side and approached the throne. "Lord Elrond bade me deliver this to the King of Mirkwood with all haste, Sir."

Thranduil looked disapprovingly down at the envelope being held out to him. "I don't want to hear anything the Half-Elf has to say. Take it back to your master," the king said dismissively, waving the Elf away from him.

"Your Majesty, I was instructed…"

"I care not for your instructions!" Thranduil shouted. "Get out of my sight!"

"As you wish, Your Majesty." Instead of walking away though, he stepped up and placed the thick cream envelope on the arm of Thranduil's throne. "It might not be my place, Majesty, but you should read the letter," he said quietly so the others in the hall couldn't hear.

"Thank you," Thranduil nodded in an equally quietly voice.

The messenger stood back and bowed low. "Your Majesty," he said, backing away then turning away, his task done. It was up to Thranduil now.

Long meetings with his various advisors kept Thranduil busy for most of the day after the messenger delivered the letter he knew to be from his estranged son. It wasn't until gone midnight when he was in the privacy of his own chambers that he drew the crumpled note from his pocket. The writing on the envelope was clearly Elrond's, as was the wax seal, and Thranduil felt anger pulsing through him. Throwing the letter down on the table, Thranduil stalked around the room for a while in an attempt to cool his temper – surely that had gotten him into enough trouble of late. He poured himself a glass of wine, bravely snatched up the letter and plonked himself gracelessly down in the chair.

With a sigh, he laid his glass back down and decisively ripped open the envelope. As he unfolded the paper inside, the king instantly recognised his son's neat writing and felt a pang of sadness wash through him. Taking a deep breath, he focused on the words before him.

Tears filled Thranduil's eyes as he read the heart-felt words from his son and the tragic words of his grand-daughter's death. His grandchild was dead. A sob hitched in his throat when he thought of his son. How could Legolas stand it? To lose a child…Thranduil wasn't sure he could bear it if he lost his own child to Mandos.

Standing suddenly, Thranduil strode out onto the balcony and threw the doors open, feeling a desperate need for some fresh air. He leant against the railing and breathed in deep. "Oh, Legolas," Thranduil whispered to the night. "Ion nin." His heart ached for his child's suffering and suddenly felt an almost overwhelming urge to hold his son close to him and ease his pain. "Legolas. What have I done?"

Suddenly the King of Mirkwood felt very much alone again.

**To Be Continued…**


	20. Open Your Eyes

Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****Yes this is an m-preg, as in male pregnancy. I know anatomically it is impossible in the real world but I like the idea (mainly for the Legolas suffering that goes with it). Please, if you are dead set against this kind of thing then don't read then complain that you weren't warned.**

**OIOI**

**Thank you so much to everyone who is still reading and everyone who has added me to their alerts/favourites lists and, of course, to everyone who has reviewed. I appreciate them so much.**

**Enjoy:**

**Chapter 20 ~ Open Your Eyes**

**OIOI**

"Legolas?" Elrond asked when he noticed his love standing out on the balcony in the darkness. Elrond climbed from the warmth of his bed and stepped up behind the blonde Elf and placed his hand on one slumped shoulder. "What are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep," Legolas said softly, not looking around.

"Did the baby keep you awake?"

Sighing, Legolas answered, "He's settled now."

Elrond wrapped his arms around Legolas and said, "I'm sorry, melleth nin."

"Did he wake you?"

"No."

Somehow this didn't make Legolas feel any better but he nodded anyway. "Good."

"Come back to bed. You need to rest."

"You go. I'll be there in a minute."

"Are you sure you're all right?"

"I just needed some fresh air," the young Elf answered softly.

"All right. Don't be too long, you need to sleep," Elrond told him, placing a kiss on Legolas' cheek before he pulled away to return to bed. Legolas just leaned forward onto the railing and looked out at Rivendell. A deep, unexpected sadness washed over him and tears pricked at his eyes. He forced them back though unwilling to fall apart again.

Eventually, he turned and went back inside, closing the doors behind him to keep out the cold. He peered into the nursery but the baby was sleeping – mercifully. Climbing back into bed, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep. A moment later though, Elrond's hand was on his arm and he opened his eyes to find Elrond looking down at him in concern.

"Are you all right, Legolas?" he asked in a whisper so as not to disturb the baby next door.

"Yes. Why?"

"You moaned," Elrond replied kindly.

"Oh. I'm fine."

"Are you in pain, melleth nin?" Legolas didn't answer immediately so Elrond sat up, more alert. "Legolas, tell me, please. I need to know. Are you in pain?"

"Just…sore," Legolas admitted quietly.

Elrond leaned over and turned the lamp up so he could see properly. "Legolas, why didn't you say sooner?" Legolas just closed his eyes wearily in answer as Elrond climbed out of bed and walked around to the other side of the bed. "All right, where abouts does it hurt?"

Legolas ran his hand over his still slightly swollen stomach, realising there was no point in arguing or lying anymore. "And my back," the blonde said quietly.

"Can I take a look at your stomach?"

"Elrond, it's late. Go back to bed. This can wait until morning."

"No, this cannot wait until morning. I told you before; you need to tell me if you get uncomfortable."

"It's not that bad; just sore," Legolas protested, his temper beginning to fray.

"If it's enough to keep you up at night then it's bad enough to worry about," Elrond told him sternly, lifting up Legolas' nightshirt and peeling the bandage away.

Legolas replaced his hand over his eyes. "I just want to go to sleep," he murmured helplessly.

"You'll sleep better if you're not in pain."

"I'll sleep better if you leave me alone," the prince told him loudly.

Rather started by the venom in his voice, Elrond stood back. "Legolas…"

Before he could continue, the baby started crying in the next room.

"Now look what you've done!" Legolas exclaimed before sitting up and brushing Elrond's lingering hands away.

He went to get out of bed but Elrond told him, "No, Legolas, you can't get up yet, not until I know you're all right."

"Well, I can't just leave him crying."

"Legolas…"

"Fine, you take care of him then," Legolas snapped, standing up and going to the bedroom door.

"Where are you going?" Elrond called over the crying.

"I don't know!" Legolas shouted, his fingers raking through his hair. "I need…" He could hardly hear himself over the noise. "Would you shut him up!"

Elrond stared at Legolas in stunned disbelief. "Melleth…"

"Just look after him. He likes you better anyway," Legolas told him in dejection as he left. Elrond desperately wanted to follow his love but he had to take care of his son first.

Honestly, Legolas didn't know where he was going. He couldn't think straight. It seemed that his tired mind had had enough. For a while he merely walked off his anger, just stalking through the halls, tears streaming down his cheeks. He was so engrossed in the simply joy of being away from the screeching that he didn't even see Glorfindel before he ran right into him.

The seneschal exclaimed and stepped back in shock, looking over at what had just hit him. "Legolas! What are you doing out here?" The blonde prince just shook his head. "Are you all right?"

"Yes."

"Where is Elrond?"

"In bed, probably," Legolas answered somewhat bitterly.

"It is late; should you not also be in bed?" Legolas shook his head again, wiping his eyes. "Come, I will walk you back to your rooms."

"No, I don't want to go back. I can't go back there," Legolas said with a sob.

Startled, Glorfindel asked again, "Legolas, is everything all right?"

"I…I can't. I needed to get out."

"Mellon nin…"

"Can I stay with you tonight?" the prince asked in a soft voice. "Please."

For a moment, Glorfindel could only stare in amazement and sorrow. "Of course. Come, I'll make you some tea," he finally answered, leading Legolas toward his own rooms. It wasn't like he could turn away the obviously distraught prince. "Come in," he invited, opening his door to the prince. Once inside, Legolas sank gratefully down onto the couch as Glorfindel lit the lamps and placed his papers away in his desk. "Can I make you some tea?"

"I'd just like to go to sleep if you don't mind," Legolas said in a small voice.

"Uh…yes, of course. You can take my bed, Your Highness."

Legolas shook his head firmly in protest. "No, please. I wouldn't want to inconvenience you. Please, go on to bed. I'll be fine out here on the couch."

"I cannot let you sleep on the couch."

The younger Elf ran his slightly trembling hand over his eyes. "Please, I'll be fine. I just want to sleep," Legolas said, lying back on the sofa.

"As long as you're sure." Legolas nodded again. "All right. I'll fetch you a blanket." Unfortunately, all Glorfindel could find was a thin throw but he supposed it would have to do. When he returned to the lounge Legolas had positioned a pillow on the couch and was trying to kick his slippers off without sitting up. Concerned by how gingerly Legolas seemed to be moving, Glorfindel leant down and offered, "Let me help." He pulled the slippers off and placed them on the floor. "Try to sleep for a while."

Almost painfully, Legolas pulled his legs up and laid his head down on the pillow, tears slipping down his face occasionally.

Glorfindel laid the blanket over him and then tentatively smoothed Legolas' golden hair back gently. "Try and rest, Your Highness. I'll be in the next room if you need anything."

"Thank you," Legolas whispered as Glorfindel turned the lamp off and went back into his own room.

"You're welcome, mellon nin."

Legolas closed his eyes and tried to go to sleep but now that it was quiet and he had calmed down, he found that he couldn't sleep. Guilt and grief washed over him and ripped more cries from his lips but he buried his face into his pillow so he didn't disturb Glorfindel in the next room.

Of course, Glorfindel heard. He was sat in bed listening intently for any sound in the small lounge. When he heard the soft crying, he froze. Really he didn't know his boundaries with the prince. Should he go in and offer a shoulder to cry on or should he keep his distance? Should he go fetch Elrond or leave the prince alone? He really wasn't cut out for this kind of thing – treading in his lord's business. It was a fine line and he wasn't sure he should cross it.

A while later, the crying stopped and Glorfindel settled in for a tense night.

**OIOI**

When Glorfindel, fully dressed, stepped into the lounge the next morning, Legolas remained asleep on the couch on his side, one arm draped over the edge, fingers scraping the carpeted floor. The seneschal smiled gently and went to his desk to retrieve his work for the day. A moment later there was a rustling from behind him and Glorfindel turned to see tired blue eyes looking to him.

"Oh, good morning. I didn't mean to wake you. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes."

Glorfindel knew that to be a lie but he did not comment on it. "Good. I have to get to the office but please feel free to stay as long as you like. Take my bed if you want."

Legolas smiled weakly, slowly sitting up. "Thank you but I should get back.

"Oh, right. Shall I have breakfast sent to your rooms?"

"Thank you but I'm not really hungry."

"All right."

Legolas stood and folded up his blanket, placing it nearly on the back of the sofa. "Thank you for putting up with me. I hope my presence wasn't too disruptive to your night."

"You were no trouble," Glorfindel assured.

"I should go."

As Legolas went for the door, Glorfindel said, "Legolas, if there's ever anything you need – to talk or anything – I want you to know that I'm here. My door is always open."

Glorfindel could have sworn he saw tears pool in bright blue eyes before Legolas said, "Thank you," and left quietly.

Legolas dragged himself back to his rooms, guilt still gnawing away at him. At the door, he paused, suddenly nervous at facing Elrond after his words the night before. How could he face his partner after that? Not only did he insult the Elven lord but he had yelled at his son. However, he couldn't stand out in the hallway forever so he took a deep breath and opened the door.

Immediately, he saw Elrond, dressed for the day but pacing anxiously around the room. He looked up though when the door opened and visibly eased when he saw Legolas.

"Thank the Valar!" he exclaimed, rushing forwards to meet his love. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Legolas replied softly, closing the door behind him.

"Are you sure? Come and sit down." He held out his hand for the prince but Legolas didn't come forward. A moment later, he lowered the hand and the relieved smile dropped from his lips. "Where did you go last night?"

"Just around," Legolas answered vaguely.

Tense silence followed between them but it was Elrond who eventually broke it. "I'm going to speak to Glorfindel and Erestor this morning, get them to cancel my meetings for the next few days so I can be here with you and the baby."

"You don't have to do that."

"Legolas…"

"Go to work, Elrond. Rivendell needs you," Legolas said, walking past him into the bedroom then into the nursery where he found his son still sleeping. He thought that Elrond might come after him but a minute later he heard the living room door quietly open then close and he actually released a sigh of relief. Avoiding the problem seemed to work well enough and it suited him just fine. Leaving the baby to sleep, Legolas went into the bedroom and sat tiredly down on the bed.

**OIOI**

"My lord, may I have a word?" Glorfindel asked quietly, peering around the door to Elrond's office.

Looking up from his papers, Elrond said, "Yes, of course, come in." Glorfindel did so, closing the door behind him. "What is it?"

"It…it's about Legolas."

"Oh. Right," Elrond mumbled.

"He…He came to me last night. Or rather, I found him wandering the corridors."

"You found him?"

Glorfindel nodded, sitting down. "I brought him back to my rooms. He slept on the couch," the seneschal added quickly when he realised what he'd said.

Elrond smiled softly in amusement. "I don't doubt it, mellon nin."

"He seemed rather upset."

"Yes, I know."

"May I ask what happened?" Glorfindel enquired cautiously.

Elrond ran his hands over his face and groaned. "I don't know. I was trying to help him and the baby started crying and then he just…he snapped and ran out." Elrond looked up to his friend and advisor. "I've never seen him lose his temper like that, Glorfindel."

"He's tired."

Scoffing gently, Elrond shot back, "Everyone's tired, not just him."

"Elrond, don't do that. It's not fair. You know he's been through a lot."

"We all have!"

"It's different for him."

"Why? Why is it different for him? He is not the only one who is suffering!"

The ancient Elda kept his calm in the face of Elrond's anger. "He carried those babies inside him for twelve months and you know fully well how hard that was for him, he had to give birth to them and then deal with losing Anara. You said yourself when you were preparing for this that it would be hard on him. Don't ignore that now, Elrond; it's not fair on Legolas."

Elrond sighed but nodded. "I know you're right. I just don't know how to talk to him anymore. Everything seems so hard now, Glorfindel."

"You have to be patient with him. It takes time."

"Oh, I know that."

"Just take care of him, mellon nin. I don't like to see either of you unhappy."

"I am trying, Glorfindel, I really am."

"I know that. And I'm here for both of you if there's anything you need," the captain gave his lord the same as offer he had given Legolas that morning. He got up then and went to the door, glancing back at his downtrodden lord. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Elrond looking so forlorn with regards to Legolas. It frustrated him no end that there was so little he could do to help.

**OIOI**

On an errand for his lord, Glorfindel hurried down the corridor towards Elrond's rooms but just as he reached the door, he heard the loud wailing of the baby within. Strangely, concern welled inside him. The cries no longer sounded like the normal whinging of a child demanding attention but rather cries of genuine distress. He knocked gently on the door but received no response so cautiously opened the door. The lounge was dark and empty and although it looked to be a complete mess with clothes, blankets and various other belongings scattered all over the chairs and floor. Following the sound of the screeching, Glorfindel opened the bedroom door slowly, giving the prince a chance to tell him to stay away should he wish.

When Glorfindel looked inside the bedroom it was dark due to the closed drapes but he could just make out the baby lying squirming and screaming on the bed. He rushed forward to help, looking about for Legolas and found him sitting on the far side of the room on the divan with his head buried in his hands, sobbing to himself. The prince's despair was drowned out by the baby's screams so Glorfindel concentrated on the infant first.

Carefully, he picked the squirming baby, only half-dressed, up, wincing at the wailing noise. At being shown some attention, the baby's cries eased slightly so assuring Glorfindel that he was otherwise unharmed. He then turned his attention to the baby's father, who hadn't seemed to have even noticed that he was no longer alone or that the room was quieter than it had been.

"Legolas?" Glorfindel called, stepping over a few stray shirts that lay on the floor. "Legolas, are you all right?" Not getting any response, Glorfindel used his free hand to push aside a cloak on the divan then sat down next to Legolas, placing his hand on the prince's trembling back.

For the first time, Legolas seemed to realise that he was no longer alone and jerked upright when he felt the touch on the back. He blinked blearily and looked over at the person sat next to him. It seemed to take him a moment to identify the seneschal. "Glorfindel?"

"Mellon nin, what is wrong?" Glorfindel asked in concern, his hand moving to Legolas' shoulder. The prince just turned away, trying to wipe the tears away from his face even though it was completely pointless now. "Legolas, please, tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing," Legolas whimpered, wiping his face with his sleeve.

Glorfindel looked the prince over and frowned at the state he was in. His clothes looked like they were days old and wrinkled, his tunic was buttoned only halfway and his shoes remained untied. His hair remained un-braided as it had done for several months but it hung limply and dully in a mess over his back and shoulders like he hadn't washed it in ages. All that was nothing compared to his eyes though. Once bright and lively, they were now dull, filled with sadness and despair. Dark circles from lack of sleep shadowed them and tear tracks from seemingly endless hours of crying made their way down colourless cheeks.

"Legolas," the Elda whispered sympathetically, pulling back the blonde hair so that he could see the prince's face properly. "Obviously something has upset you. You can tell me, mellon nin," Glorfindel assured over the crying of the baby, which had quickly started up again as soon as Glorfindel's attention was diverted. "Legolas?"

Turning around to face the seneschal, Legolas looked about him. "What…? If you're looking for Elrond, he left for the office hours ago," the prince told him calmly as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

"No, I wasn't looking for Elrond. I left him in a meeting. He sent me here to fetch some papers he left behind this morning," Glorfindel replied in confusion at the abrupt change.

"Oh." Legolas looked around the dark room. "I don't know where they are. On his desk probably. Sorry I can't help," he shrugged, glancing briefly down at the child crying in Glorfindel's arms and nearly losing control of his already tenuous emotions again.

"It doesn't matter about the papers. They're not that important anyway. It's you I'm worried about."

Legolas cleared his throat and pushed his hair back from his face. "Why?"

Very few times in his long life had Glorfindel been outright stunned by another person but he certainly was with Legolas in that moment. Was the prince really serious? Anyone with even an ounce of common sense could see that there was something wrong.

Pushing aside his incredulity, Glorfindel said, "I heard the baby crying."

"Yes," Legolas mumbled, looking down at his screaming son once more, his calm façade cracking as a sob choked in his throat and tears blurred his vision.

"Legolas, is something wrong?" Glorfindel asked gently.

The blonde shook his head as more tears slipped from his eyes. "He won't stop."

"The baby?" Glorfindel asked pointlessly.

"He won't stop crying," Legolas himself cried softly.

Not exactly a child-care expert, the seneschal offered, "Maybe he needs feeding or changing."

"Damn it, I've tried that!" Legolas shouted, brushing off Glorfindel's hand off his shoulder angrily. "I've tried everything and he…he just won't stop," he sobbed, leaning forward and replacing his head in his hands in utter despair. "I don't know what else to try."

"I see." How he wished he was better able to offer comfort to his friend but he really knew nothing about babies and was at somewhat of a loss now.

"I don't know what to do," he openly sobbed into his hands.

Glorfindel laid his hand on Legolas' back and stroked up and down, hoping to offer some comfort. "It's all right," he whispered. For a long moment, the prince just cried, shaking slightly as if his sobs were tearing him apart.

"It doesn't stop," came Legolas' muffled, cracked voice. "He doesn't stop."

"Shh." Glorfindel moved his arm around Legolas' shoulders and pulled him up into a hug. The prince immediately buried his face into the seneschal's shoulder and Glorfindel held him close. "I've got you. How long has he been crying?"

"I don't know! He just won't stop. He won't stop crying. Nothing I do seems to work."

"All right, just calm down, mellon nin. It's going to be all right."

"I don't know what to do," Legolas sobbed loudly against Glorfindel's shoulder. "I can't. I can't do this anymore. I just…He screams and screams and I can't stop him. It's too much. I can't do it anymore."

Sensing that the young Elf was dangerously close to panic, Glorfindel hugged him and said, "All right. Calm down. Take some deep breaths, mellon nin."

Legolas did so but they were extremely shaky. "I thought I could handle this but…I just, I can't do it anymore."

As Legolas rubbed at his eyes, Glorfindel said, "I understand. It's going to be all right."

Another sob escaped the prince. "I can't handle…I'm so…I'm so tired, Glorfindel. I'm so tired." At this he seemed to calm against Glorfindel, as if just the admission made him better able to bear the weight of his responsibility. "I just want him to stop crying for one minute. I want to go to sleep," he choked out over the noise of the continuous screeching.

"Shh, it's all right." He looked down as Legolas sat up straight. "All right, you stay here. I'm going to go and get Elrond."

Legolas shook his head, wiping at his eyes. "He's in a meeting," the prince said weakly.

"He can be disturbed for you; the meeting's not that important," he said, standing up. "Besides, you need him more than Erestor."

"I'm sorry. I'm all right."

"No, you're not. You can't take care of your son in this state. Stay here; I'll be right back."

Legolas barely heard Glorfindel leave, nor did he really notice that his rooms were now quiet. In his state he could still hear the cries ringing in his ears, his head pounding mercilessly. The pain in his stomach had grown greatly in the past couple of days, no doubt due to the fact that he hadn't had time to rest properly, until he could think of little else. All he really wanted to do was to curl up into a ball under a thick, warm blanket and rock himself into a deep, oblivious sleep. It didn't seem that that was going to happen though.

Meanwhile, Glorfindel went straight to Elrond's office, where he was in deep conversation with Erestor over the comfort of the human delegates who were getting increasingly restless within Imladrian walls.

"Finally; I thought you'd gotten lost," Elrond said when the door opened. He looked startled to find his son in the seneschal's arms. "Hey," he grinned, standing up and walking over to them. "What are you doing here?" He took the squirming baby from Glorfindel's arms.

"Erestor, could you excuse us for a moment?" Glorfindel asked quietly.

"Yes, of course," the major domo answered, collecting his papers and quickly but discreetly leaving the office, pulling the door closed behind him to offer them some privacy.

"Where is your daddy then?" Elrond cooed to the baby, who gurgled up at him.

Glorfindel answered his question though. "In your rooms crying his heart out."

Elrond looked up sharply. "What?" he asked in concern.

"You have to talk to him, Elrond."

"About what?"

"Oh, for Valar's sake, open your eyes! He is one more wail away from tearing his own hair out."

"I don't know what you…"

"Come on, Elrond. He's exhausted, massively overwhelmed and perilously close to completely falling to pieces," Glorfindel said in an exasperated tone.

"He said he was all right to look after the baby."

"Of course he did!" Glorfindel exclaimed a little too loudly. "He is still – despite what he claims – the overly proud, stubborn prince of Mirkwood. He would say he was fine; especially in front of you."

Elrond frowned. "Why in front of me?"

"Because it comes so easily to you and it doesn't to him. This," he pointed to the baby held protectively in Elrond's arms, "terrifies him. No matter what he tells you, he can't manage, Elrond. He can't do it all on his own. He is in pain and he is so far beyond exhausted that he's barely thinking straight. He needs you to help him, Elrond, because he is falling apart right now."

"I didn't…"

"I know that Anara's death has been hard on both of you but you cannot leave him by himself now. He needs your help." Glorfindel didn't pause to allow his lord to interrupt. "You said yourself that it would take him some time to recover and he is nowhere near well enough to be spending all his time on his feet taking care of an extremely demanding baby. He is shattered, Elrond. Go and look after him. Get him changed into comfortable clothes, tidy up that room, clean him up, give him something ridiculously strong for the pain and, for Valar's sake, get him into bed and force him to sleep if you have to. He deserves that after everything he has been through." He gently took the child from Elrond's arms. "Go on. I'll look after your son for a while. Give Legolas a baby-free day before he drives himself completely insane."

"Thank you, mellon nin," Elrond smiled weakly.

"Just go and take care of your prince."

Elrond nodded and rushed from the room. When he entered his rooms, he found the blonde Elf just sat on the couch with his head in his hands. Apparently he didn't even have the energy to cry anymore.

"Legolas," Elrond said softly but didn't receive a response. He knelt down on the floor in front of the prince and placed his hands on Legolas' knees.

The blonde Elf looked up at the touch, startled. "Elrond?" he asked, his voice hoarse and weak. As if snapped out of his misery, Legolas looked almost frantically around the room for his son. Panic lit his eyes and clearly showed on his face.

"He is fine. Glorfindel has him," Elrond quickly assured.

Legolas breathed a sigh of relief but then tears filled his eyes again at the thought of what he had done and he choked out, "I'm sorry…So sorry."

"Shh, it's all right," Elrond smiled kindly, reaching up to caress Legolas' pale, tear-stained cheek with a warm hand. The touch elicited another sob from Legolas so Elrond moved onto the divan and pulled the young Elf into a hug, holding him close and hushing him. "It's all right, my love. I'm here now."

"I'm sorry," Legolas cried against him.

"For what, melleth nin?"

Legolas closed his eyes as his whole body shuddered under the weight of his cries. "I can't take care of him. I'm a failure."

"Oh Legolas," Elrond sighed, kissing the cold forehead. "You are not a failure in any way, do you hear me? You are an amazing parent, Legolas. I am so proud of you."

"I'm not. I can't look after him on my own. I thought I could handle it but I can't," the prince cried.

"You don't have to deal with this alone, melleth nin. This is my fault. I shouldn't have left you all alone. This is my fault, not yours, understand?"

Legolas shook his head against Elrond's chest. "It's not you."

"Shh, it's all right now," the Elven lord soothed gently, stroking Legolas' hair back.

The kindness really didn't help in the grasp of his emotions and he found himself just crying harder, suddenly releasing all his pain and insecurities on Elrond's shoulder. "It was my fault," he sobbed in despair. "It was all my fault."

"What was your fault, melleth nin?" Elrond asked, looking down at the distraught young Elf in his arms.

For a moment Elrond didn't think he would get an answer but then amidst shuddering cries, a small, quiet voice said, "Anara. It was my fault. I'm so sorry."

Tears blurred Elrond's eyes at these words and he pulled the trembling Elf tighter against him. "Oh, no Legolas. That was not your fault."

Legolas shook his head. "I didn't…listen. You told me to…to push harder but I didn't. I didn't listen to you and now she's…What if I had…pushed sooner…or harder. If I had listened…to you…I'm sorry."

"Legolas, no. Don't do this. Please don't do this to yourself."

Teary blue eyes looked up at Elrond as, with a loudly beating heart, Legolas confessed, "I knew."

"Knew what?"

"I knew that…something was wrong. I knew months ago but I did nothing," he said in a trembling voice.

"What do you mean?" Elrond asked calmly.

Drawing in a shuddering breath, Legolas said, "I could feel it, Elrond. I could tell something was wrong with one of the babies." A sob wracked his body but he pressed on. "I knew but I did nothing to help her. It's all my fault."

Wracking his brains to decipher what Legolas was saying to him, Elrond asked, "Do you mean the night of the diplomatic dinner?" Thinking back to the night Legolas had collapsed during the dinner with the human delegates, Elrond did remember Legolas mentioning something was wrong. A small nod confirmed his suspicions. "No, Legolas. Remember, I looked at you that night and both our children were fine. I checked myself and they were fine, I promise you that. You listen to me; this is not your fault. Anara…There was nothing anyone could have done, melleth. And there was nothing you did or did not do during the pregnancy or the delivery that would have made any difference, do you hear?" He pressed a kiss into Legolas' hair and rocked him gently. "It wasn't your fault, melleth nin. Please don't blame yourself. I can't stand to see you torturing yourself like this."

"I can't do this, Elrond," Legolas said in a choked – but much quieter voice than before.

"Shh. Right now it's just you and me and you don't have to do anything." For a while he just held his love close, letting him have his cry, guessing that he needed the release. "Shh, it's all right, melleth nin."

Another thirty minutes later and it seemed that Legolas had exhausted himself, as he sat quietly in Elrond's arms. "I'm sorry, Legolas. I shouldn't have left you to deal with this all on your own." He felt the prince shake his head in protest. "I have been so caught up in my work and our son lately that I have been neglecting you. Now, I know that you are in pain – don't even try to deny it – so let's start with that. I'm going to make you up something to help, all right?" He eased Legolas off him and went to the bathroom where he competently mixed the correct herbs together and also set the bath water running.

Once he had finished, he returned to Legolas' side and held out the vial for him. "Drink that down," he told him and Legolas took it off him and swallowed the liquid slowly. Elrond took the vial back from trembling fingers once the prince had finished. "It shouldn't take long to work. Right, now you are going to get into a warm bath, then have something to eat. Then," he ran his hand over blonde hair tenderly, "then you are going to get into bed where you're going to have a nice long, uninterrupted sleep, all right?"

It sounded so good that Legolas could only nod thankfully.

"All right. Come on." Elrond stood up and held out his hand to help the prince up. Legolas got to his feet and slowly followed his love into the bathroom where the bath was now ready. He turned the water off then turned to Legolas. "Let's get you undressed." His deft fingers easily unbuttoned Legolas' tunic and eased it over his shoulders, leaving the prince to remove his own trousers. He then helped him into the warm water and to sit down. "You rest in here while I send for some food. I'll be just in the next room."

Elrond went out into the corridor and summoned a passing maid, ordering some soup and hot tea for the prince. When he had returned to the bedroom, he immediately went about clearing up the messy room, picking up the clothes and shoes littering the floor and then threw the thick drapes open, letting sunlight flood into the dim room. He then pushed the balcony doors open to allow some fresh air into the stiflingly hot room. Already the room felt less oppressive and more relaxed. Elrond stripped the rumpled sheets off the bed and replaced them with fresh ones, plumping the pillows up so the bed was as comfortable as it could be.

When he was satisfied with the room, Elrond returned to find Legolas reclining back and dozing in the warm water. He perched on the edge of the tub and ran his fingers over the prince's pale cheek. Blue eyes fluttered open to focus on Elrond and the Elven lord smiled gently at him.

"Let's get you cleaned up then put you to bed," Elrond smiled, reaching over for the soap and flannel. With great tenderness, he washed Legolas off, noting every wince that passed over the pale features. He was rather concerned at how cold the blonde Elf's skin was despite the heat of the water but there wasn't much he could do about that.

Once the young Elf was clean, Elrond helped him out and wrapped him up in a large, fluffy towel, gently drying him. All Legolas could really concentrate on was remaining upright. As when he had first arrived in Imladris seven months previous, his body felt about ready to give up on him. Even as Elrond carefully dried him, he swayed on his feet, having to force his eyes to remain open. The one good thing was that at least the pain was beginning to fade, although Elrond's concoction was only adding to his fatigue. By that point though, Legolas really didn't care. After being pushed to the very limits of endurance, he was just too tired to care.

"Is that painkiller starting to work?" Elrond's voice washed over Legolas as he relaxed slightly. He merely nodded gratefully and Elrond smiled. "Good." He picked up the clothes he had chosen for the prince. "Can you help put these on?" Another nod came from Legolas and he slowly managed to step into his trousers with Elrond's help. The Elven lord decided it would be easier to do the shirt himself so he slipped the loose fabric over Legolas' shoulders and eased his arms into the nightshirt. "There you go," he murmured after he had buttoned up the shirt. "Come on, I've gotten you something to eat." He led Legolas slowly into the bedroom, where thankfully the maid had placed the food. Sitting Legolas down on the turned-down bed, Elrond reached for the bowl of broth and mug of herbal tea. "Try to eat something, melleth nin."

Legolas took the bowl from him and proceeded to eat the thick, tasty broth. The warm food felt good in his empty stomach – he hadn't eaten breakfast that morning, he simply hadn't had the energy. He also quickly finished off the tea Elrond handed him and had to confess that afterwards he did feel better. After he had emptied the bowl and mug, he let Elrond take them away from him.

"All right, let's lay you down now," Elrond smiled, moving the sheets out of the way.

"But…the baby."

"He is being well looked after by Glorfindel. He'll be fine. Right now I am far more concerned about you. You're exhausted, you have to rest. Go on, get into bed," Elrond encouraged, nudging Legolas to lie down and the prince found that he really couldn't argue so he shuffled backwards and laid back against the blissfully soft pillows. A small sigh of relief escaped him and Elrond smiled as he kicked off his own shoes, shrugged off his robe and climbed into bed next to his love, pulling the sheets up over them both. Immediately, Legolas shifted so his head rested on Elrond's chest. "Are you comfortable enough now?" Elrond asked, looking down at the blonde Elf lying against him.

"Mmhm," Legolas mumbled, his eyelids growing heavy again.

"Close your eyes and go to sleep then. I'll be right here." He arranged the sheets over the prince to ensure he was warm enough then urged, "Go to sleep, melleth nin."

"Thank you," Legolas murmured as his eyes slipped closed and sleep took him.

"You are welcome," Elrond replied but Legolas couldn't hear him. "I won't let this happen again, my love, I promise," he whispered. With Legolas in his arms, Elrond let his eyes go vacant, feeling more at ease than he had done in weeks.

**To Be Continued…**


	21. Improvements

Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own anything Tolkien created. Nope, not a thing.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****Yes this is an m-preg, as in male pregnancy. I know anatomically it is impossible in the real world but I like the idea (mainly for the Legolas suffering that goes with it). Please, if you are dead set against this kind of thing then don't read then complain that you weren't warned.**

**A/N: THANKS to everyone who's reviewed. This story has hit the 100 mark, which is amazing, thank you all so much.**

**Hope you're enjoying it.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 21 ~ Improvements**

**OIOI**

After that day, Elrond insisted that he only worked the minimum hours possible, handing as much of the responsibility over to Glorfindel and Erestor as he could. Realistically, it would be impossible to spend every moment with Legolas and his son but he could certainly try harder. The possibility that things would overwhelm Legolas again frightened Elrond; he hated seeing his love in distress of any kind. Luckily, his staff and family understood this and tried to help as much as possible. Often when Elrond was called away Elrohir or Arwen kept Legolas company, looking after the baby if needed whilst Elladan usually helped his father in the office. Elrond appreciated their kindness and thoughtfulness beyond words.

For the most part, Legolas was encouraged to rest and although he felt terribly guilty that everyone else had to pick up the slack because he couldn't handle it alone, he often found himself lying in bed or sat in the armchair fast asleep. He had thought that after a good nights' sleep free of crying he would feel better but although his temper seemed less frayed, he still felt desperately tired and weak most of the time. The herbs Elrond provided him with lessened the pain considerably until it was just a dull ache – an annoyance more than anything. He longed to feel like himself again.

As he sat in the chair by the fire, he discreetly watched Elrohir rock the_ still_ crying baby in his confident arms, wondering how on earth the younger Elf could possibly know what to do whenever the child cried. To him, it still remained a complete mystery.

"Are you hungry?" Elrohir cooed to the baby when he let out a loud squeal. "All right then, where's your bottle?"

Arwen retrieved the warm milk from the nursery but said softly to her brother, "Maybe Legolas should do this, don't you think?"

Elrohir looked over but the prince seemed to still be fast asleep in the chair. "I don't think we should disturb him. No, we shouldn't disturb your ada, should we?" he cooed to the baby.

"Elrohir," Arwen protested at his brother's lack of concern.

"What? Ada told us to help him, not disturb him every time the baby cries." Suddenly Arwen grabbed his arm and firmly but gently pulled him into the nursery. "Hey!" he exclaimed as she pushed the door closed. "Arwen what are you doing?"

"Have you suddenly lost the ability to see?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Have you not noticed that he has barely touched the baby in the past couple of days? Every time he cries, Legolas makes some excuse not to deal with him."

"That's not fair, Arwen. He and Ada have been through a lot; so what if they need a little help?"

"Elrohir, how is he supposed to learn how to look after the baby if he never even tries?" she said in annoyance.

"He is tired, Arwen," Elrohir told her in a whisper.

"I know that. And I know that he needs help but I can't help but think that we're not really helping him in the long run. We should be _helping_ him, not doing everything for him. He's not even trying."

"He will. You know that he is exhausted and Ada says he still needs time to recover…"

"I understand that. But we are not always going to be here to help him. He has to at least do something for this child. He is flailing and he's ignoring the fact that he can't do it. How is he ever supposed to do it if…?"

Arwen was cut off by a door slamming closed nearby. They looked over at each other and then Elrohir strode over to the door and pulled it open to find the bedroom now empty.

"Damn it," the twin snapped. "Hold him, will you?" he said, handing the baby over to his guilty-looking sister. She took him and watched as her brother took off after Legolas. He ran down the corridor but found no sign of him so instead he went to his father's office. Knocking briefly, he threw the door open, only to find the room empty.

Before he could dash back out though, Glorfindel appeared in the doorway. "Elrohir, what are you doing here?"

"Have you seen my father?"

"He had to go and visit in the town. He'll be back a bit later, I think. Why?"

"It's Legolas."

"What about Legolas?" Glorfindel asked, suddenly more alert.

"He…he took off."

"Took off where?"

"I don't know. I've been trying to find him but I thought I should let Ada know."

"What happened?" Glorfindel asked, leading the way out of the office and down the corridor.

Guilt overcame Elrohir again and a blush of shame rose to his cheeks as he spoke. "He overheard me and Arwen talking," he explained quietly.

"Talking about what?"

"About how he isn't bonding well with the baby."

"Elrohir!" Glorfindel exclaimed in annoyance as he quickened his pace. "Why would you say something like that?"

"We are worried about him."

"As are we all but gossiping behind his back is not helping and nor is upsetting him," Glorfindel told him sternly, making the young Elf feel like a tiny Elfling again. "Where is the baby?"

"With Arwen."

"Right. Go back and help your sister," Glorfindel commanded.

"What about Legolas?"

"I will find him."

"How?"

"I have an idea of where he might have gone. Go and help Arwen look after the baby. And don't even think of mentioning any of this to your father. He would be furious if he found out you were upsetting his love – unintentionally as it may have been. Go."

Elrohir nodded and rushed back the way he had come whilst Glorfindel headed straight for Elrond's private gardens. As he had expected, Legolas was sat under the tree beneath which Anara was buried, watching the leaves rustling above him. Glorfindel approached quietly and slowly sat down beside the younger Elf. "Elrohir was frantic, you know? He was worried about you."

Legolas scoffed, looking over at the seneschal. "I may be a bad father and incapable of taking care of my own child but I am old enough to look after myself if the situation calls for it."

"You are not a bad father," Glorfindel firmly told him.

"According to Arwen I am failing to bond with my own child and am not even trying to look after him by myself," Legolas shot back.

"I am sure she didn't mean it like that."

"No? What did she mean then, Glorfindel?" The seneschal went to speak but Legolas stopped him. "It's true; I can't look after him."

"Do not start that again! You really are doing fine now."

"Stop saying that!" the prince shouted suddenly.

"Legolas, I would not say it if I didn't believe it. If you need to rest, then rest; ignore Arwen. She doesn't know the whole story," Glorfindel told him firmly.

"I honestly thought that those twelve months were the hardest of my life but these past couple of weeks have seriously challenged that belief."

Not really knowing much about babies or parenting Glorfindel searched his mind for a suitable reply. "All parents find it hard at first," was all he could come up with.

Legolas obviously didn't buy it either as he said, "Then why can Elrond do it so easily?"

"Because Elrond has already raised three children."

Sighing, the prince ran his hand over his eyes. "I just want, for one minute, to feel normal again. I want to look after him. I want to be a good parent."

"You are," Glorfindel insisted.

"Maybe Arwen is right. Maybe I have been avoiding it," he mused to himself and Glorfindel kept quiet, just letting Legolas work it out for himself for a minute. "Every time he cries though, I just… I feel like I can't deal with it."

"You're tired, mellon nin. It is natural that your patience is frayed," Glorfindel said kindly.

"I want to do it, Glorfindel. I want so much to look after him myself."

Glorfindel shrugged and said simply, "Then do it. Everything you have ever put your mind to, you have accomplished ever since you were a little Elfling pestering your father to teach you how to shoot a bow and arrow. You cannot be afraid to face it."

"What if I do fail though? What if I can't do it?" Legolas asked in a small voice.

"Then take a break and try again later."

"It's that simple?" Legolas chuckled miserably.

"Yes. You will never know unless you try. Elrond will be there, as will your friends if you need help along the way. Have a little faith in yourself, mellon nin." He placed his hand on Legolas' shoulder. "All of us have faith in you. Trust yourself as you always have done."

Legolas smiled over at him. "How is it you always manage to say the right thing?"

"It is a natural talent," Glorfindel said with a perfectly straight face, which made Legolas laugh. After so many months of hardship, the sound was like music to the seneschal's ears. "Anyway, I will be having words with Elrohir and Arwen; they should not have said those things." He climbed gracefully to his feet and dusted down his robes. "You should return soon though. Elrond will be back soon and he will panic if he discovers you missing."

"I will. I'm just going to…sit here for a while," he said, nodding towards the gravestone of his lost daughter.

"Of course. I will see you a bit later."

When, an hour or so later, Legolas wandered back to his rooms he was immediately enveloped in a tight, apologetic embrace by Arwen and Elrohir, who took their time to apologise profusely. Although his anger at their previous words had long since died away, he said nothing and they did not have time to say anything further as Elrond chose that moment to return to his rooms.

A huge smile lit his face at seeing Legolas and his two children up and about and he didn't seem to notice the tension in the room or the guilty faces of his son and daughter. He pulled Legolas into a hug and asked, "Did you have a good day?"

Legolas glanced over Elrond's shoulder at the two younger Elves, who both looked down at the ground in shame at what their father might say when Legolas told of their words. "Yes, we did," Legolas finally answered after a long silence, having to hide a smile at the shock on the young Elves' faces. That look almost made him think that all that doubt was worth it. He supposed that they had suffered enough and that forgiveness was appropriate given that they had clearly learned their lessons. There was no point in getting Elrond involved, especially seeing as from the looks on Arwen and Elrohir's faces; they had already been told off by Glorfindel as he had promised. A lecture from the legendary Elda was surely punishment enough.

"Good," Elrond said, pulling back, completely oblivious to the silent conversation going on in the room. "And how is my baby?"

"He's asleep, Ada," Elrohir said eagerly.

"Excellent. Shall we go get some dinner, then? We could eat in the dining hall tonight if you feel up to it, Legolas," Elrond said.

"I'll go and get dressed," Legolas told him, going into the bedroom and closing the door behind him.

"You two can go now, get cleaned up and ready for dinner." Arwen and Elrohir nodded and went for the door, glad to be out of their father's way for a while. Before they could escape though, Elrond's gentle voice said, "I will speak to you both later."

There was a definite edge to Elrond's words as he fixed them with a stern gaze and their hearts sank. Legolas may not have said anything to Elrond but Glorfindel clearly had.

"Yes, Ada," they both said with bowed heads.

At the tense nod from the Elven lord, both considered themselves officially dismissed and left their father's chambers with heavy hearts. Their only comfort was that Legolas had forgiven them. Whether that would be enough to spare them from their father's wrath was another matter, although they seriously doubted it.

Luckily, at dinner Elrond didn't confront either of them, although he was rather busy feeding the baby his milk and would probably not say anything in front of Legolas anyway. Only Elladan remained oblivious to all the attention and talked to the others about what they had found in the human town when he had gone with his father earlier in the day. The talk soon became more animated and even Legolas joined in after a while, which delighted everyone.

By nine that night though, both Legolas and the baby were beginning to tire, one going quiet as the other grew louder. Noticing this, Elrond bid the rest of the family goodnight and returned with Legolas to their rooms. Whilst the prince had a quick bath and got changed, Elrond contented himself with getting his son off to sleep, singing a traditional lullaby until the infant had fallen asleep in his crib.

When he returned to his own room he found Legolas already in bed, almost asleep. Elrond quickly changed into nightclothes and climbed into bed next to him. He was rather surprised when Legolas moved closer to him but he eagerly wrapped his arms around the young, blonde Elf. Wrapped in a strong embrace, it didn't take Legolas long to drift off into a deep sleep.

A few hours later though both were dragged from sleep by a crying from the nursery. They looked around tiredly then Elrond went to sit up but was stopped by Legolas' hand on his arm. "Can I try?" he asked almost nervously as they both sat up.

"Uh, yes, if you want." Legolas nodded, much to Elrond's surprise, and climbed out of bed. "Are you sure you're all right with it?"

"Yes. Just let me try. You go back to sleep," Legolas said softly.

Elrond smiled, "As long as you're sure."

Remembering Glorfindel's earlier words of encouragement, Legolas picked up the screaming baby, cradling him in his arms. He sat down in the rocking chair by the window, gently rocking back and forth. For a while the baby cried but when he started feeding him his warm milk the baby calmed in his arms, looking up at his father with big blue eyes as he suckled his contentedly. Once he had had his fill, Legolas rested him against his shoulder and very gently patted his back.

When Elrond came in a while later it was to the most heart-warming sight he had ever witnessed: Legolas rocking the sleeping baby in his arms. He stepped forward on silent feet and stood next to Legolas, who looked up from watching his son sleep.

"You are getting the knack of this fathering thing," Elrond said in a kind, soft voice as he placed his hand on Legolas' shoulder.

The young Elf looked up at him with a smile. "He just wanted feeding then he fell asleep in my arms," he said proudly in a whisper. "He is so…beautiful."

"Yes, he is," Elrond agreed, putting his arm around Legolas' shoulders and kissing him softly.

"I've been thinking…What about 'Aldarion'?"

Elrond frowned. "'Son of the Trees'?" he asked.

"I know he is a child of Rivendell but…"

"He is your child so it seems an appropriate name," Elrond smiled, looking down at the tiny sleeping Elfling. "Aldarion."

"Aldarion," Legolas echoed.

Beaming down at his finally contented family, Elrond suddenly felt that everything was going to be all right now. If Legolas was more at peace with all this and their son finally held a real place in the family then everything else would soon follow and things could start to return to normal.

After a while, Elrond prompted, "Come on, melleth nin; you should come back to bed and get some rest."

Surprisingly, Legolas found himself reluctant to be parted from his son for the first time since the birth but he did agree that sleep sounded very good so he sat up and gently placed the still-sleeping child back in his crib. "Goodnight, penneth," he whispered before quietly stepping back to a smiling Elrond.

The Elven lord led Legolas back to bed and immediately pulled him into his arms. "You did well, my love," he whispered as Legolas buried himself against the dark-haired Elf.

"Thank you," Legolas sighed. "I know that I have been…completely useless lately…"

"Shush. You have not been useless. You just needed some time to adjust, that's all," Elrond protested, holding his partner close. "Besides, you're doing fine now." Legolas smiled softly in the darkness at the lord's kindness. "Go to sleep, my love."

"Elrond?"

"Yes," Elrond sighed, closing his eyes.

"I love you."

Smiling, the other Elf said back, "I love you too. And I love our new family."

Legolas snuggled up against Elrond, comforted by the warmth of the older Elf's strong, warm body. He had always felt safe wrapped in those arms. Truthfully, he now couldn't understand why on earth he had recently not enjoyed being swamped in that tender love. However, now he was perfectly content to lie there forever, surrounded by Elrond's comforting presence. With that peaceful thought in his mind, Legolas drifted off at the same time as his partner.

Not two hours later, both were disturbed once more by crying from the next room. Legolas groaned softly, rolling over in bed and blinking tiredly up at the dark ceiling. He went to drag himself up but Elrond had already sat up and he placed his hand on Legolas' shoulder to stop him moving.

"Stay where you are. I'll get him," Elrond smiled down at the prince. "You did the last one." Legolas offered him a weak smile of thanks so Elrond climbed out of bed and immediately went into the nursery to see to the crying baby. "Shh, don't you go waking your ada up now, penneth," Elrond whispered as he rocked his son back to sleep.

**OIOI**

In a darkened room deep within Imladris, the group of human diplomats from Gondor gathered around a long table each with a glass of Rivendell's most potent wine in their hands.

"The Elf is not budging," the blonde human moaned quietly.

"He will," their leader assured confidently, swirling his wine around in his delicate glass.

"What if he doesn't?" a tall, dark-haired man growled from where he was slouched at the end of the table.

"He wants this deal just as much as we do."

"Then why has he given up on the talks already?" the young blonde demanded.

"He has not given up on the talks."

"No?" the huge man asked slyly. "Why has he left his lap dogs to deal with everything then? That ridiculous, insubordinate excuse for an advisor he calls his seneschal?"

"You mean Glorfindel? The one who killed a Balrog?" the leader laughed. "Granted, he is useless in the conference halls but he does keep you liquored up doesn't he?" A round of laughter went around the table at the large man's expense, making him glower at them each in turn. "Anyway, Glorfindel has the ear of the Elven lord. Whatever is said to Glorfindel eventually makes its way back to Elrond."

"That's not good enough!" the large man yelled, slamming his hand down on the table and spilling deep red wine all over the fine wood.

"Keep your voice down," the blonde hissed, mindful of sharp Elven ears.

"We have been here for months now and that damned Elf hasn't moved an inch."

"Calvain, he will give us what we want. He's stalling. It's a political tactic, that's all."

The big man, Calvain, shook his head. "No, he is going to refuse."

"Why would he go to all this trouble, take all this time, if he didn't want to come to an agreement?"

"Because he is messing with our minds; that's what the Elves do," the blonde said confidently.

"Corvell, you have to get out of your mind that Elves are 'magical'," their leader laughed but this time his companions did not join in. "They have no more magic than you do."

"This is beside the point," Calvain said loudly, earning shushes from the others. "I've had enough of sitting around doing nothing. I say we push that prim and proper Elf lord into doing something beneficial to us."

"And how do you propose to do that?"

"If he's not willing to negotiate properly…"

"No! Whatever you're thinking, the answer's no. You cannot get what you want out of him with sheer brute strength." Calvain went to speak but their leader, Allun, stopped him. "The Steward put me in charge of these negotiations so we will be doing as I instruct. Leave Elrond to me. He will do what we want eventually."

"But…" Corvell started.

"No buts. I don't want to hear any further complaints about this, is that clear?"

"Yes, sir," they both chimed and Allun abruptly got to his feet and left the candlelit room.

For a moment, the two men were silent but then Corvell spoke up again. "It's not fair that we should sit back and do nothing whilst that Elf uses us like puppets."

"We should do something," Calvain decided.

"Like what?"

"Like get the Elf back into the conference room for a start. Allun might be content to sit around and wait but I'm not. The longer he stalls the worse it'll be."

"How do we do that, then?" Corvell asked, bordering on excitable.

The large man groaned and answered, "Use your brain, idiot. What is keeping the Elf from the table?" Corvell thought for a moment before shrugging. "The Elf _prince_ and his precious little bundle of joy."

"Oh, right."

"Get rid of them and Elrond will be all ours."

"So what do we do? Kill them?"

"Don't be so stupid. The baby is an innocent. We can't kill a child," the large man snapped. "Besides, he's far too valuable to us for mere death." Taking a sip of his wine, Calvain smiled and said, "The pretty prince we can kill."

They both grinned and laughed and clinked wine glasses together.

**OIOI**

**Two Days Later…**

Legolas was just pulling the sheets up to climb into bed when a knock came from the door. Both he and Elrond looked up wearily. Elrond, however, sighed and went to answer the door. When he opened it he found a rather guilty-looking Erestor standing there.

"No," Elrond snapped. "Whatever it is, no."

"My Lord, Lord Allun wishes to speak with you. He says it's important."

"Can it not wait until morning?"

"He says it's of great import." Elrond looked back through the doors to find Legolas watching him from the bed. "I will try to make it as quick as possible," Erestor promised apologetically.

"Fine," Elrond sighed. "Let me just get changed." He closed the door on his major domo and turned back to the bedroom. He returned to Legolas' side and muttered, "Sorry."

"Elrond, no, you have been gone all day."

"I will be as quick as I can," Elrond told him, pulling on his robes.

"Elrond," Legolas sighed, running his hand over his eyes and leaning back against the pillows.

"I promise I won't be long. You go to sleep."

Elrond went to walk away but Legolas snagged his hand. "Do you really have to go?"

"You know I do."

"Please stay here."

"I wish I could. I promise I'll be as quick as I can be. I want you to rest; you have to sleep if you can, all right?" Legolas nodded. Sleep wasn't going to be a problem. After spending all day alone with the baby whilst Elrond was caught up in his office, he hadn't had time to take his usual nap during the day so by the time evening fell, he was exhausted. "Aldarion is still sleeping so he should be fine until I return."

Legolas sighed softly in disappointment, releasing Elrond's hand. "Run back."

Smiling, Elrond answered, "I will. Go to sleep, melleth nin." Legolas nodded and closed his eyes as Elrond quietly left to join Erestor in the corridor. "Let's do this as quickly as possible. I can't be away for long."

"Of course, my lord."

Elrond entered his office to find Allun waiting for him. "Lord Allun," he greeted formally despite his previous annoyance at being disturbed.

"Forgive me for calling on you so late," the man said.

"No, please sit down." They sat on either side of the desk. "What can I do for you?"

Allun cleared his throat and fidgeted nervously in his seat. Now that he was sat alone – besides the silent but watchful ever-present Erestor, of course – he suddenly regretted making the decision to confront the ancient master of Rivendell about his companion's earlier concerns. "Actually," he started, "it is about these negotiations." Elrond nodded, straight-backed and tense in his chair. "We…we don't think they are really going anywhere, you see."

Shrewd brown eyes stared at Allun across the desk. "I see," the Elf said, running long fingers over the wood. "What do you propose we do?"

Somehow Allun didn't think that this was a genuine question but rather a slight on the human's presence and he thought correctly.

"I am unsure, my Lord Elrond. However, perhaps if you were to attend more of the sessions instead of sending Lord Glorfindel, who, although a competent diplomat, has confessed himself that he is unable to give us anything," the man hurried out although he lost confidence as Elrond's passive expression turned to a frown and his stare turned into a definitive glare at the accusations.

Indeed, Elrond had to take a deep breath to prevent the sharp retort that came to mind.

"Lord Allun, the point of these negotiations is not to _give_ Gondor anything; it is to come to an agreement between the two realms that benefits both sides. Captain Glorfindel is indeed a very 'competent' negotiator, he has my full faith and respect and speaks for me and for the whole of Imladris and the reason he hasn't come to an agreement with you yet is because so far you have been entirely unreasonable in your demands and offered us no kind of compromise. As for my absence at the proceedings, there is absolutely no need for me to be in every meeting. My people speak for me and report everything back to me. You are fully aware – thanks to the Imladrian gossipers – of Prince Legolas' condition. Naturally, this has kept me rather busy of late. There is no reason at all why negotiations should grind to a halt simply because I am not at the table."

"I…Yes, my Lord. Of course you are…I am…"

Elrond raised an eyebrow at the usually articulate man's stuttering. It was hardly surprising though. The mild-mannered Lord of Imladris certainly knew how to belittle someone with words when the situation called for it. Erestor smothered a smile as the man struggled to regain his composure.

"Forgive me if I offended you at all. That was not my intention."

"Not at all," Elrond smiled gently. "I can assure you that you and your cause have my full attention. You are not being ignored or abandoned. We want this to work as much as you, Lord Allun, we really do." He stood up gracefully and the man immediately mirrored his action. "We just need to iron out the kinks, that's all."

"Yes, right. Of course, Lord Elrond. Forgive me for doubting you."

"Please, it is an ambassador's duty to take all due care of his kingdom. It is understandable, even commendable, that you are concerned." Allun nodded, slightly relieved that the telling-off was over for the time being. "However, it is late and I have to get back, so if you'll excuse me."

"Yes. Goodnight, Lord Elrond."

"Erestor will show you back to your rooms," Elrond said as he opened the door for the man. He left, followed by a rather pleased looking major domo. Elrond himself closed his office door and returned to his rooms.

By now it was quite late so he stepped in quietly, not wanting to disturb his partner or the baby. When he went into the bedroom though, he saw Legolas sat up in bed feeding the baby his milk. A huge smile crossed Elrond's face at the sight and he closed the door, no longer worried about making noise. Legolas looked up at the sound.

"Legolas, I am so sorry it took so long. One of the diplomats wanted to complain that we weren't doing enough, although frankly I think they are already pushing their luck with this damned road." Elrond shook his head, his smile dropping slightly at the prince's lack of interest. "How have you two been?"

"We're fine," Legolas answered shortly, looking down from Elrond to the baby.

"Good. Do you want me to take him?" the Elven lord offered, stepping forwards to take the baby from his obviously tired out partner.

"It's fine, I've got him."

Elrond heard the definite edge to Legolas' voice and lowered his arms. "Legolas, I really am sorry. I couldn't very well ignore the head diplomat, could I?"

"I told you it's fine."

Sighing, Elrond decided that apologising wasn't getting him anywhere so said instead, "I'm going to get changed."

"Fine."

Elrond nodded and went into the bathroom to change into more comfortable nightclothes. He knew that the prince was angry at him but what could he do? If he got called away there was little he could do about it; surely Legolas knew that.

When he returned to the bedroom, Legolas remained in the same position and didn't even acknowledge him, clearly still annoyed. Before Elrond could offer another apology there was another knock at the door.

"That'll be Erestor again; you should answer it," Legolas told him but when Elrond didn't move, he prompted, "Go, it's fine."

Elrond nodded and strode to the door, not missing the disappointed look that flitted across the blonde Elf's face as he passed. The Elven lord flung the door open to find one of his advisors standing nervously on the other side, clearly there to drag Elrond away again. Before the advisor could speak Elrond grabbed him by the arm and yanked him across the room to the bed chamber.

A rather started Legolas looked up sharply at the intrusion. "Elrond!" he exclaimed.

"See that?" Elrond demanded of the equally startled advisor, who tried to both look and avert his gaze respectfully from Legolas at the same time. "That is my partner and my new born son. Tonight and for the next few days they are all that matter in the world. I don't care if the whole of Imladris falls down tonight; if even one more of you comes knocking at the door again, so help me, I will get rid of every single one of you. So go back to Glorfindel and Erestor and tell them that for tonight at least Rivendell doesn't have a lord. I'm going to spend some proper time with my family. Now get out."

The stunned servant hastily bowed and practically ran from the rooms, relieved to be away.

"Wow, that was amazing," Legolas breathed in wonder.

"I'm glad I've impressed you," Elrond laughed. "And I really meant it. I want to spend some quality time with you and the baby."

"That sounds really good," Legolas smiled sincerely, all his anger having drained away. "I'm sorry I was so…"

Elrond shook his head and sat down on the bed. "No, it's my fault. I shouldn't have been worrying about things Glorfindel and Erestor can take care of. I should be with you. I _want_ to be here with you and Aldarion." He lowered his head and kissed Legolas' soft lips deeply.

"Thank you," Legolas smiled when they parted. "I'm really tired," he added softly.

Elrond pushed blonde hair back from Legolas' pale face. "I'd imagine you are. He's asleep now. Let me put him back to bed and then I think we should both get some sleep."

The prince nodded and let Elrond carefully take Aldarion from his arms and take him back to the nursery.

**OIOI**

The rattled Imladrian advisor rushed around the corner and almost ran right into the waiting humans.

"Well?" the tall Calvain asked the breathless Elf impatiently. "Is he coming?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but Lord Elrond is busy at the moment. If you just wait a few days I'm sure…"

"Don't bother," the man growled in annoyance, turning on his heel and striding away with his younger blonde associate following obediently behind him, leaving the stunned and flustered advisor standing alone in the corridor.

**OIOI**

"There you go," Legolas cooed as he fed his son at the breakfast table. "Would you all stop staring at me please?" he said to the others around the table. Elladan and Elrohir laughed but returned to their breakfast, Erestor and Arwen blushed and looked away in embarrassment whilst Elrond and Glorfindel just smiled warmly at his, clearly pleased. It was so good to see Legolas finally properly bonding with their tiny son. Just lately he seemed better able to cope with the child's demands, although Aldarion had become considerably more settled in the past week, not pushing his father too far anymore. Legolas himself, although still tired a lot of the time, had been allowed to rest and Elrond made certain he had medication whenever he needed it as the pain was still occasionally an issue – especially at night when he had nothing else to distract him from it.

Now, nearly a month on from the traumatic birth, Legolas was up and about eating breakfast with the rest of the family. It actually felt good to be normal again, even if it did still feel strange having the baby there as well. He didn't really participate much in the conversation going on around him but Elrond wasn't too worried. Just knowing that his love was on the road to recovery was good enough for him.

As Legolas held the bottle to Aldarion's mouth and idly listened to the chatter around him, he felt a sudden unexpected wave of dizziness and nausea wash over him. Swallowing thickly, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath in an attempt to avoid bringing up his breakfast. The baby's abrupt cry disturbed him and he looked down to find the bottle empty. When he looked up again, the nausea had mercifully passed so he lifted the baby against his shoulder and patted his back.

"Legolas, are you all right?" Elrond asked in concern, obviously having noticed how Legolas had suddenly paled.

"Yes, I'm fi…" He was cut off when blinding pain simultaneously shot through his head and stomach along with the return of the nausea.

"Whoa," Glorfindel exclaimed, reaching forward to support the baby when Legolas' grip automatically loosened. "Elrond."

The older Elf had already stood up and put his hand on Legolas' shoulder while everyone else sat up to attention. "Legolas, are you sure you're all right?" Legolas nodded, his eyes open now the pain had passed. "What is wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm just…tired, I suppose." He slowly stood up with the baby securely in his arms.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes." He swallowed thickly as the nausea rose again. "Maybe I'll go and lie down for a bit though."

"Of course. Do you want someone to go with you – or look after the baby?"

"No, we'll be fine. Don't worry," he smiled.

"All right, if you're sure. Go and get some rest, melleth nin."

Legolas nodded and made his way out of the dining hall aware of several pairs of eyes watching him go in concern.

The prince entered his rooms just as his stomach started doing alarming somersaults. Fearful that he wouldn't make it back from the nursery to the bathroom, Legolas gently placed Aldarion down on the bed then dashed for the bathroom, only just making it to the basin in time. He heard the baby squealing in the background but was fearful to step away.

Once he thought it was safe, he stood shakily back and wiped his mouth, blinking back the dizziness. The baby's cries made him look up and he staggered back into the bedroom. Carefully, he picked up the baby and went into the nursery to put him to bed. Before he could leave again, he stumbled as pain assailed his senses again. He couldn't help it; he crashed to his knees with a cry of agony, bringing up what little was left in his stomach. Whimpering in pain, he was relieved when he heard the door open. The help he had rejected before had come and he was glad for it.

However, when he lifted his head he saw two Men he had never met before striding across the bedroom and stepping over him. Through a haze of dizziness and pain, Legolas heard them pick up the screaming Aldarion from his crib. Panic rose in him and he managed to lift himself off the floor a little as the man carrying his child, the bigger of the two, passed him. Reaching out, he caught the man's leg in an attempt to trip him up but he didn't have the strength and the man just pulled sharply away, causing Legolas to lose his balance and pitch forward to hit the floor.

A kick was planted hard in his chest and he was sure he heard something crack under the assault.

"No," he murmured, grabbing the man's leg again, desperate to get his baby away from these Men. This time, the other man grabbed Legolas' arm and hauled him up before shoving him further into the bedroom where he fell against the floor. The young man hit him hard in the face with his fist before kicking him in the stomach, only intensifying the pain there.

"Leave him. Let's go," the taller man commanded.

As the younger man went to step away though, Legolas stuck his leg out and tripped him up, sending him crashing to the ground. "No!" he cried. Now with one attacker at least temporarily incapacitated, Legolas tried to crawl toward the other man, knowing deep down that his actions were useless as he was too weak to do anything but he couldn't just let them take his child without a fight. As he reached towards the man holding his baby though, the man easily stomped down on a grasping hand, breaking at least a couple of bones and drawing a cry from the Elf.

"Get away!" the man commanded, kicking Legolas again.

"Kill him, Calvain!"

"Shut your mouth," the Man – Calvain, Legolas thought – ordered. "We got what we came for. Let's go before the Elf gets back."

"Right," the blonde man agreed, giving Legolas plenty of space as he passed him should he try anything again.

"No, please," Legolas whimpered as he felt darkness creeping up on him.

"Say bye-bye, Daddy," the tall man cruelly teased as he turned to leave, ignoring Legolas' feebly grasping broken hand. He knew the weaker Elf was no threat anymore. The poison they had managed to slip into his morning tea had seen to that. Granted, they hadn't counted on him being strong enough to try to fight back but all in all it had gone remarkably well. All they had to do now was get out of the House unseen – not a problem given the fact that there was an event going on the Halls of Fire that kept everyone busy – and then convince Elrond of the wisdom of agreeing to their terms.

"Bye-bye," the blonde one echoed with a laugh before slamming the bedroom door closed behind him.

"No, please," Legolas cried, attempting to drag himself towards the door but his body seemed to be getting rapidly less responsive. "Please. Help! Help," he attempted to shout but his voice was too weak. "Please help. Aldarion, no," he whispered as consciousness finally fled him despite his desperate attempt to cling onto it. "No."

**OIOI**

It was hours later, nearing med-afternoon when Elrond and Glorfindel strolled down the corridor towards the lord's room.

"It will only take a minute," Elrond assured his seneschal. "Surely Elladan and Elrohir can entertain the guests for a while."

"That is what worries me."

Elrond laughed softly and said, "I just want to check he's all right. He really didn't look well this morning."

"He was probably just tired, mellon nin. You did say he was up with the baby a couple of times last night," Glorfindel reasoned.

"I know but I worry about him."

"And rightly so after everything he's been through."

Elrond paused at the door to his chambers. "Then what are you complaining about?"

"Did I complain?"

"You're always complaining about something."

"That's not fair," the seneschal protested.

"No? Then I have obviously mistaken you all these years," Elrond laughed at his old friend.

"Obviously. I'll wait out here for you."

"To hurry me along?" Elrond smiled as he opened the door.

"I'll be here."

"Very well." Elrond stepped inside and closed the door behind him quietly so as not to disturb Legolas or the baby. As he expected, the lounge was empty so he shrugged his robe off and laid it over the back of the chair and headed on silent feet to the bedroom. He eased the door open, calling, "Legolas?"

If it had been possible for an Elf to get sick, Elrond would have sworn his heart would have simply ceased to beat when he looked into the room. As it was, all he could do was freeze in the doorway, staring in shock at the bedroom. Legolas was lying face down on the floor, one hand reaching out to the door and the other twisted painfully under his body.

A soft moan from the prone figure snapped Elrond into action and he ran forwards, dropping to his knees next to the prince. "Legolas," he murmured, turning the blonde Elf gently onto his side. Panic rose in him again when he saw the blood running down Legolas' face from a cut above his eyes. Legolas had not just collapsed, he had been fighting. "Legolas?"

Dazed blue eyes slipped open and Legolas visibly tensed. Unable to do much else, Legolas managed to mutter softly, "Aldarion."

Terror raced through Elrond as he looked over his shoulder to the nursery. It was too quiet. Getting up and leaving Legolas' side, Elrond ran into the nursery, frantically searching for his son but the room was empty. Panic raced through him until he could hardly breathe let alone think. Another moan of pain from the lounge spurred him into action and with tears in his eyes he ran back into the bedroom, doing the only thing he could think of at that moment:

"Glorfindel! Glorfindel, help!" he yelled frantically.

**To Be Continued…**

**TRANSLATIONS:**

**Ada – Dad**

**Penneth – Young one**


	22. The Worst Day Of Our Lives

Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****Yes this is an m-preg, as in male pregnancy. I know anatomically it is impossible in the real world but I like the idea (mainly for the Legolas suffering that goes with it). Please, if you are dead set against this kind of thing then don't read then complain that you weren't warned.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 22 ~ The Worst Day Of Our Lives**

**OIOI**

As he knelt down next to Legolas, the door burst open revealing a dangerous-looking Glorfindel with his dagger in his hand ready to strike. "My Lord?" Sharp blue eyes took in the scene around him in seconds and he had to work hard to hide his shock. "What happened?"

"I don't know. Aldarion…he's gone," Elrond said, trying to keep his voice steady but failing miserably.

"What? How…?"

"Damn it, I don't know, Glorfindel!" Elrond yelled, on the verge of tears once more. Legolas murmured something but Elrond couldn't hear what it was. "What? Do you know who did this?"

"Calvain…" Legolas said softly, trying to muster his strength to speak.

"Who is Calvain?" Elrond asked in confusion.

"Calvain is one of the Human diplomats from Gondor," Glorfindel put in in growing horror.

"Legolas, did this Calvain, this Human, take Aldarion?" Elrond demanded frantically and he received a relieved nod of confirmation. Turning to Glorfindel, Elrond ordered, "I want this Man found. He is not to leave Imladris. Lock the whole place down if you have to, I don't care. Glorfindel, find my son."

"Yes, my Lord."

Glorfindel, with his stern orders, ran from the room to summon the troops. If he had to personally interrogate every single person within Imladris' walls then he would do so but he would find that child. He knew fully well that his lord and the prince couldn't bear to lose another child.

It didn't take long for Glorfindel to gather the Imladrian guards around him and explain the situation. He could see that they were all itching to get going but he made sure that they were suitably deployed to cover all the lands.

"I don't need to tell you how important this is. Detain all the human diplomats and bring them to me for questioning if you find them. Go."

The guards all saluted and hurried off to do as instructed.

"Glorfindel, what is happening?" Elladan asked as he and his brother rushed into the room.

"The whole house is in uproar," Elrohir added.

"Legolas was attacked and Aldarion was taken from his room," Glorfindel explained quickly.

Twin cries of 'What?' filled the room. "Is he all right? Legolas, I mean," Elrohir asked urgently.

"I don't know. Elrond is still with him but he didn't look good."

"What do you need us to do?" Elladan demanded.

For the first time, Glorfindel noticed that they were already dressed in their travelling clothes with their weapons secured to their belts so he assumed they had been out on the training fields.

"I need you to go and make sure the perimeter is secure and then help in the search for Aldarion. Legolas saw the Gondorian diplomat Calvain take the baby so I've ordered that the entire party be brought here for questioning."

"Isn't Calvain that disgusting, brutish one?"

"Yes," Glorfindel sighed, for the time being ignoring the boy's impropriety. "Find the Man and your brother and take all due care. We have no idea what they are up to."

"Of course," Elrohir said.

"We'll get going."

"Look after Ada and Legolas," the twin said.

"I will do my best," Glorfindel smiled and the boys rushed out to aid in the search of their missing brother. Like their father, they just couldn't stand the thought of another death in the family. They'd lost too much already.

**OIOI**

"Stay with me, my love," Elrond urged as he saw Legolas starting to drift out of consciousness again. "Come on, Legolas, please." Blue eyes struggled to stay open as Elrond held the prince close. "We need to get you to the bed."

Legolas shook his head. "Ald…"

"Glorfindel is looking for him. We'll find him," Elrond assured.

As the lord went to move him again but Legolas cried out in pain, paling even further. "P-poison…"

"What?" Elrond laid his hand against Legolas' forehead and immediately felt the fever raging through him. "No. Legolas, what did they use?"

"Don't know…At breakfast."

Elrond could have cursed. He had known the prince had not been well at the morning meal but he had let it go, not assuring himself that nothing was wrong. "Guard!" One of the Elves standing guard outside the door ran in at the cry. "Go to the kitchens and look for signs of poison, anything that is out of place."

"Yes, sir," the guard said then ran off to do as instructed.

"Come on, let's get you to the bed."

Elrond bent down and easily picked the trembling prince up off the floor, wincing when he cried out in pain. Placing Legolas down on the bed, Elrond immediately began looking him over. As he ran his gentle hands over Legolas' bruised chest he found several broken or cracked ribs, where he had been kicked.

"Where does it hurt the most?" he asked when the young prince moaned and shifted again on the bed.

Legolas' good left hand drifted down to rub gently on his stomach so Elrond pulled his shirt open further to find the still healing wound red and badly bruised. He tried to hide a grimace when he thought of how much that would have hurt.

"Did he kick you here?" he asked and Legolas nodded, flinching when Elrond gently felt around the tender area. He knew fully well that the prince's stomach was extremely sensitive since the birth of their children and that it still caused him considerable pain at the best of times; to be kicked hard there would have been agonising. "I can't give you anything for the pain until I know what those Men drugged you with. I'm sorry, melleth nin."

Legolas looked up at him with a faint smile and said, "I've had worse."

Taking Legolas' good hand, Elrond smiled back. "You're going to be all right. And so is Aldarion. We're going to be fine," he promised.

"I'm…sorry."

"For what?" Elrond asked in confusion, stroking Legolas' hair back from his sweat-coated brow.

"Aldarion."

"No. No, Legolas, that was not your fault," the Elven lord said, bending to kiss Legolas softly.

"Couldn't stop…"

"Oh, melleth nin, you tried. Look at what they did to you. It wasn't your fault."

"Find him…"

"We will. We _will_ find him. Just stay with me," Elrond encouraged as Legolas' eyes threatened to fall shut once more. "Stay with me." The prince tensed in pain again but all Elrond could do was whisper reassurances. "We'll be fine."

**OIOI**

Four hours had passed since Elrond had found his love unconscious on the floor of their bedroom and every minute seemed to last an eternity for the Elven lord. Glorfindel had come by earlier to inform him of what was being done to find the humans and the baby and order him to stay put. Being confined to his chambers while everyone else was out looking for his son was simply torturous but Elrond knew it was probably for the best. If Aldarion and Legolas were targets then there was a good chance that he was too, which actually suited him just fine. He longed to get his hands on the man – or men – who had hurt his love and taken his child. Just five minutes alone in the room with them was all he required. Then they would find out just how forbidding he could be.

As he paced around the lounge restlessly, he found himself running through all the punishments he could pile upon the Men when he found them. The thoughts were really quite soothing and did more to cool his temper than the pacing did.

When there was a knock at the door, his forced calm was broken and he dived for the handle, throwing it open to find Glorfindel stood there. One look in his seneschal's empty arms dampened his hope and he stood back, trying to disguise his disappointment. "Glorfindel."

"Forgive me, my Lord," the Elda said, coming into the lounge, knowing fully well what Elrond had been hoping for. "I thought you would appreciate an update."

Elrond lowered himself down onto the couch with a heavy sigh. "Yes, of course."

Positioning himself in the chair opposite his lord, Glorfindel proceeded to tell Elrond what had happened. "We have arrested all the Human aides and questioned them. All maintain that they had no reason to suspect that Calvain, Corvell or Allun were plotting anything and I am inclined to believe them. They were all in their rooms and looked downright terrified when armed guards stormed in." Elrond nodded for him to continue, trusting his seneschal's judgement in all things. "Guards have been placed at every entrance to Imladris even the lesser-used ones and the whole House and kingdom are being thoroughly searched. It is only a matter of time before we find them."

"Good," was all Elrond could think to say. "What about the twins and Arwen?"

"The boys have joined the search party and Arwen is in the Great Hall helping calm things down."

"But they are safe?"

Glorfindel nodded. "Yes, they all have their guards with them."

"The bodyguards are not to leave their sides. Not even for a minute."

"I've already ordered it," Glorfindel assured, dispelling his lord's concern. "Can I ask, how is the prince?"

"Oh," Elrond sighed, running his hand over his face. "He's sleeping. Luckily, the Men don't know their poisons; they gave him enough to hurt but not enough to cause any permanent damage. His wounds are more serious than the poison; he's sleeping it off now. How long he'll stay that way though, I don't know."

"As long as he's all right." Glorfindel stood up and said, "I'll be back soon to give you another update. Try to get some rest, mellon nin." Elrond nodded, managing a small smile. "Erestor is just outside if you need anything."

"He is?" Elrond grinned at his major domo's kind heart. "Send him in. He can wait in here rather than loitering out in the corridor."

"Yes, my lord."

Glorfindel was soon replaced by Erestor, who immediately set about trying to make his lord comfortable but all Elrond could think to do to ease his tension was to pace. At least he felt like he was doing _something_ rather than just sitting around doing nothing.

"You're certain there's nothing I can get you?" Erestor asked for the third time that hour.

"No. I'm fine, thank you."

Erestor sighed and leaned back against the desk. "Glorfindel should be here with a report soon. He said he'd give us an update every hour."

The lord of Imladris walked over to the window and looked out at the vast valley before him. "It'll be dark soon," he said softly. A shudder rippled through him at the thought of his child out there in the night with those Men. Rivendell had been protected and safe over the years but there were still dangers out there – not to mention the cruelty of the people who had taken him. What if they had been working for someone else? Over the millennia since he had founded Imladris – and even before that – Elrond had made some enemies, it was inevitable, and Legolas must also have ruffled some feathers in his time. Any one of those enemies could have hired two greedy, fickle Men to kidnap the Lord of Rivendell and Prince of Mirkwood's son. Revenge was a powerful motive.

Tears suddenly fell from his eyes and before he knew it, gentle sobs were wracking his body. He had almost forgotten that Erestor was there until a tentative hand was placed on his shoulder. He shook his head, took a shuddering breath and laid his hand on top of Erestor's thanking him silently for the comfort offered.

**OIOI**

"What is this about?" the Human ambassador Allun asked as he followed his subordinate into a run-down old house on the outskirts of Rivendell's small town.

"Just come and look," Corvell urged excitedly, leading the way through the dusty rooms then pausing outside a closed door. "See?" he said proudly, flinging the door open and stepping aside to let his boss pass.

Calvain stood at the window, peering through the drapes cautiously. There was a soft gurgling noise and Allun looked down to a small bundle wriggling on the thin mattress on the floor. "What is that?" Allun asked in surprise.

"Take a look," Corvell grinned.

With obvious caution, Allun walked up to the bed and knelt down, moving the blanket aside. He gasped when he saw the tiny wriggling baby lying there. "What…?"

"You wanted a solution to the road issue and we brought you it," Calvain growled from the window.

A rather stunned Allun looked up at the big man. "Please, Cal, tell me that isn't who I think it is," he pleaded in despair.

"The Elf's brat," Corvell stated proudly.

"Oh, god's, no. What have you done?"

"What you could not," Calvain said, striding over to him. "Seal the deal."

"Wh…? How?"

Corvell was nearly bouncing with excitement as he explained, "We got rid of the princeling then just snatched the kid. In broad daylight, right under the Elves' snooty noses," he laughed.

"Got rid of…?"

"A little tasty poison," Calvain said more soberly than his partner in crime. "Went down like a dead weight, he did. Now we have something to bargain with."

"What do you mean?"

The young blonde man spoke up again. "We have it all worked out, Allun. We hold the brat to ransom; threaten to do away with it unless he agrees to our terms. Ingenious, huh?"

Allun slowly stood up, his eyes taking in both his people, who were practically glowing with pride at what they had done.

"Are you two out of your minds?" he finally yelled.

"What?" Corvell asked quietly, in shock that his boss was angry with them.

"What were you thinking? That is the most…utterly _ridiculous_ idea I have ever heard! Are you both insane? That is the Lord of Rivendell's month- old baby. You cannot seriously think I would use him as a bargaining tool! Never mind the fact that it is beyond immoral, but Elrond would sooner rip my throat out than speak to me after this! That is his son!"

"We are aware of that," Calvain said smoothly, not intimidated by his boss's stern words.

"Then you are also aware that you have just forfeited any right we have to even negotiate with Imladris. Never mind that, you have committed high treason!"

"But you said yourself things aren't going anywhere," Corvell told him nervously. "You said we needed to do something so we did."

"So you kidnapped an innocent baby and killed the Prince of Mirkwood?" Allun yelled. "Damn it, I told you I was handling this!"

"No," Calvain interrupted, "you said you were handling it but nothing was happening."

Staring incredulously at the big man, Allun asked, "And you think that kidnapping and murder are going to speed things up? Elrond won't want anything to do with us now! Not only have you made criminals of us all but you have also destroyed all chances of _any_ future alliance between the Elven realms and Gondor, you absolute idiots!" They at least had the good grace to look repentant and Allun turned his back on them in disgust, raking his fingers through his hair. "How on earth am I going to clear up this mess?" he mused despairingly to himself.

"No one saw us, Allun. We're safe," Corvell offered quietly.

Allun spun around on him and yelled, "By now they'll know he's missing and have no doubt they have every guard in Rivendell searching for him."

"You don't know that for sure."

"Yes, I do because it is exactly what I would do if one of my children were missing."

"Then what do we do?" Corvell asked in a small voice.

"Get rid of the evidence," Calvain told him gruffly.

With a look of obvious disgust, Allun turned to face him. "Please tell me that didn't mean what I think it did," he said in a low, dangerous voice.

Holding his head up high, Calvain rephrased, "Kill the brat and get rid of it so no one ever finds it. That way we can't be implicated." He made it sound so simple, so unemotional that Allun felt his blood turn to ice.

"Could we do that? I don't want to be thrown in jail," Corvell said, his voice bordering on excitable once more.

"Of course we can't do it!" Allun shouted in disbelief. "Are you insane? He's an innocent baby."

"Well, we can't keep it here," Corvell suddenly yelled back.

"We have to take him back to Lord Elrond," Allun stated what he considered to be the most obvious solution.

"We can't do that," Calvain disagreed, taking a step forward as he withdrew his dagger from his belt.

"Don't you dare!" Allun cried, rushing forward and snatching up the baby into his arms protectively. "He is just an infant."

"If we give it back, they'll kill us," the big man said in confusion.

"I can't…I'm not even twenty yet, Allun, I'm too young to die," Corvell pleaded. "Please."

Slightly moved by the young man's plea, Allun turned to look down at the bundle in his arms. "Fine. All right, let me talk to Elrond. Maybe we can work this out after…" Suddenly, the burly Calvain was snatching the baby out of his arms and he shouted, "Hey! What…?"

"Shut up!" the big man commanded.

"You forget your place."

Calvain hit him hard and the head Gondorian diplomat fell back against the wall, clutching at the dagger now lodged in his shoulder.

"I think it's time for a new leader around here," Calvain growled, dropping the now screaming baby carelessly onto the mattress by the window. "Give me your knife and stand guard over him," he then ordered the startled, wide-eyed Corvell. "Now!"

The younger man nodded, handing the man his own dagger before drawing his sword and going to stand guard over his previous boss. Meanwhile, Calvain crouched down by the mattress and raised the knife above the crying baby.

Breathlessly and rather painfully, Allun said, "Please, don't do this Cal. Please, I am begging you."

Calvain looked back down at the tiny infant beneath his knife and grinned a cruel grin before bringing the knife down…

**OIOI**

Legolas sat suddenly upright in bed with a sharp cry. Pain assailed his chest as he heaved in huge lungful's of air. Gentle hands were laid lightly on his chest and he looked up to find Elrond stood beside him.

"Shh, take it easy, my love," Elrond said. "Calm down, slow your breathing." He was worried that the excessive movement of his chest would only damage his ribs further – not to mention that it must have been painful. Under Elrond's careful instruction, Legolas managed to calm his breathing, which was a relief to his aching chest. "That's it, keep breathing slowly."

"Elrond?"

"Yes. You're all right. Lie back down." Elrond eased Legolas to lie flat on the bed, concerned by the lines of pain that showed on his face. "How are you feeling?"

"Dizzy. Sick," Legolas answered honestly, letting his eyes fall closed. They snapped open again though when he recalled what had happened. Sitting up sharply, he asked, "Aldarion?"

Elrond hesitated for a moment before softly explaining, "They haven't found him yet."

The young Elf shook his head and looked over to the window, surprised to find that it was now dark outside. "What time is it?" he asked fearfully.

"Gone midnight."

"Over twelve hours," Legolas mumbled, going to lift his hand to his face but he stopped when it pulsed with pain and he looked down to find it wrapped up tightly in bandages. He ignored it for the time being though and threw the sheets back, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. "I have to find him…" he started but was cut off when pain shot through his stomach – the kind of pain he hadn't felt since he had given birth to his children.

"No, Legolas, you have to remain still," Elrond told him, steadying him when he leaned forward with a gasp of pain. He noticed how pale the prince had suddenly turned and startled when Legolas suddenly dived for the basin in the bathroom.

Elrond had to literally grab him when he nearly fell to his knees in his haste. He made it to the basin just in time but had to rely on Elrond to hold him up, as the heaving brought agony to his chest and stomach again. Elrond held him as gently as he could and pulled his blonde hair back from his shoulders.

"All right, my love, I've got you." He knew that although unpleasant, this was merely a side-effect of the drug he had been dosed with earlier and in the long run it would probably do him a lot of good to get it fully out of his system. Unfortunately, it was terribly painful given his cracked ribs.

"Erestor," Elrond called to the major domo, who he knew was lingering discreetly somewhere near by. And sure enough, the dark haired Elf appeared in the doorway a moment later. "Could you please go to the healing halls and get my pack for me?"

"Yes, my Lord."

The other Elf moved away whilst Elrond returned his attention to the prince. "All right, just let it happen, my love. You'll feel better in a minute." The words were of little comfort to the stricken Elf though, although his body obviously agreed with Elrond's recommendation as it continued to purge itself.

Once there was nothing left inside him, he stood up straight shakily, leaning back against Elrond for support and placed his hand gingerly against his chest. At least the stabbing pain in his stomach had eased to a dull ache now combined, of course with the pain of the wound itself. He allowed himself a moment to rest and regain his breath before saying, "Aldarion…We have to…to find him."

"Come and sit down," Elrond said, helping Legolas back to the bedroom. He eased him to sit down on the bed and reached for the healing pack Erestor had brought by. "I'm going to give you something to help with the pain; it should be safe now." He rifled through the bag and pulled out a vial of pale green liquid, followed by another. "Here, drink this," he instructed, pulling the stopper out and placing the vial in Legolas' uninjured left hand. The prince gladly downed it, hoping for a quick easing of the discomfort. Once he'd handed it back, Elrond held out the next one. "This will help you relax," he said.

Legolas immediately pushed the vial away, shaking his head. "No, I don't want to be knocked out," he protested.

"Please, Legolas, you need to rest."

"No, Elrond, I don't want to sleep. I want to look for our son."

He went to stand again but Elrond gently pushed him back down. "Legolas, you can't. You're in no condition to be going anywhere. Besides, the whole of Imladris is out searching and Glorfindel has us fully guarded." Legolas opened his mouth to protest again but Elrond continued, "It's for the best. They will find him, my love." Legolas nodded, tears glistening in his eyes. "It'll be all right," the dark haired Elf whispered, sitting down on the bed and pulling the young Elf into his arms. "We will find him."

If only he truly felt as confident as he made himself sound.

**OIOI**

**TWO DAYS LATER…**

"Can't you shut it up?" Calvain shouted over the frantic screeching of the baby.

"I'm trying," Corvell snapped back, jiggling the baby a little too roughly in his unpractised arms. "It won't stop."

"What's wrong with it?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

From where he was propped up against the far wall, a pale and drawn Allun said softly, "Idiots. It's been three days. He's probably hungry and needs changing by now."

"You shut up," Calvain snapped irritably.

Another few minutes later, as the wailing intensified even further, Corvell sat down heavily on the rickety old child, haphazardly shifting the baby in his arms. "We have to do something."

"Fine." Calvain said impatiently, sheathing his sword and snatching the child from his colleague's arms and then strode over to Allun, shoving the baby at the man. "Make it stop."

Ignoring the pain in his shoulder and the weakness of his upper body from the untreated stab wound and steady blood-loss over the past two days, he carefully took the child from Calvain's rough grip. Resting the tiny bundle against his chest, Allun smiled down at him. "Shh, it's all right, little one. I think you need that nappy changed, don't you?" He gently placed the child on the dusty floor beside him and shifted, wincing in the process, so he could reach down. He unwrapped the soft baby-blanket and placed it to one side for later, then unbuttoned the fine, small nightwear with cold, shaking fingers. "Oh, definitely needs changing," he smiled as he released Aldarion from his soiled nappy, noting with amusement how the other two men back away, holding their breaths at the smell. 'Serves them right,' he thought with a secret smile. Suddenly a canteen of water was thrust before his face and he took it without comment, cleaning the squirming baby, who seemed to delight in the hands now helping him, up. "Yes, I know I'm not your father, little one. I'm sorry." He salvaged what clean clothes he could, re-dressed the baby and picked him up again.

Despite the fact that he was now dry and clean once more, Aldarion continued to cry.

"It hasn't stopped," Corvell stated the obvious. "Why hasn't it stopped?"

"_He_ is hungry," Allun ground out, partially in annoyance but mostly because of the increasing pain.

"Tough," Calvain growled from the doorway, arms crossed stubbornly over his broad chest.

"If you don't feed him, he won't stop crying," the older man sighed; this ridiculous conversation was making his head pound.

"Tough luck," the huge man grinned cruelly.

"Then he will keep screaming until he starves to death and then he's of no use to anyone," Allun snapped, his patience running thin.

"Fine by me."

Corvell stepped up to his superior and said, "Cal, we need the brat, remember?"

The tall man looked between the young man and the crying baby then smiled. "Very well. You can go into the town after nightfall and find it some food. And while you're at it, take this up to the House and make sure it gets to the Elven lord."

"What? Why me?" Corvell exclaimed, physically backing away from the piece of parchment his newly-appointed leader held out to him.

"Someone needs to get the ransom note to the Half-Elf and since you're going out anyway…" He shoved the note into trembling hands.

"Then send him," Corvell shouted, gesturing vaguely towards Allun.

Calvain scoffed, throwing a disgusted look over at the weakened old man. "That traitor would probably give our position away." Allun bit his tongue to keep back the sharp retort at being referred to as a traitor – that really was beyond hypocritical. Calvain's cold eyes shone in expectation of provoking a response from his hostage, which made Allun even more determined to keep his silence. He wouldn't give this cruel excuse for a human the satisfaction. Noticing this internal struggle, Calvain smiled again then turned his attention to his subordinate. "You do it. And do _not_ get caught."

"Good advice," Corvell muttered bitterly, pulling on his jacket and fastening his cloak. It was just starting to get dimmed in the abandoned house so he checked all his weapons, shoved the letter in his pocket and checked that his hood covered his features sufficiently. "Hey, what do babies eat?" he asked as an after-thought but only received a shrug from the big man, so he turned instead to Allun.

Rolling his eyes at the man's continued stupidity, Allun answered only for the baby's sake, "Milk. Warm milk."

"Fine."

He went to the door but turned back when Calvain said, "Be quick and careful. And don't try anything stupid."

'Bit late for that,' Allun thought but kept quiet as the young man replied, "All right."

With that, he was gone and they were now just three. Somehow being alone in the creaky house with one whom he had once considered an ally but now recognised as a traitor didn't make Allun feel any better. The younger one may have been unpredictable but Allun knew it was more due to fear than genuine malicious intent. Calvain had really shown his true colours though – he was a fanaticist, intent upon only one thing: getting what _he_ wanted. The really troubling thing was that he just didn't care. He shed blood as easily as breathing and felt no remorse for his actions. He had, after all, murdered Legolas in cold blood simply to reach his goal. A complete lack of respect for life was not something that inspired confidence in the older man. Allun honestly believed that the only reason he and the baby were still alive was that he needed them; he would have killed the tiny little being had he not thought he could gain something from him and what really chilled Allun was that he thought the big man would have taken great pleasure in it.

Allun kept silent as darkness fell over Rivendell. He might have been able to talk Corvell down if he managed to get him alone but there was no way he could get through to Calvain. Any conversation would only cause antagonism and probably end up in further injury and he couldn't risk that. If he died there would be no one to look out for the tiny little Elf. Although he hoped this would end soon, because judging by the numbness all down his left side where the dagger had pierced his shoulder and the way the room was starting to spin dizzyingly, he wouldn't be able to look after the baby for much longer.

**OIOI**

"Legolas, melleth nin," Elrond whispered, laying his hands on the prince's stooped shoulders. Legolas leaned back against him and Elrond wrapped his arms around him carefully but blue eyes didn't leave the view of the dark valley stretching out before them despite it being shrouded in darkness. Elrond didn't need to see his partner's face to know there were tears trailing down pale cheeks. Glorfindel had just been by to inform them that there was still no news on Aldarion's whereabouts and the seneschal's frequent reports always upset Legolas, but he still insisted on listening to every single one of them. Each time they were crushed by the news that their son remained missing. After two days they had learned not to get their hopes up but they were still devastated each and every time.

"Are you all right?" Elrond whispered softly into Legolas' ear. The younger Elf simply shook his head gently and Elrond had to agree with the sentiment. He hugged Legolas tighter to him.

"It's getting dark," Legolas said, his voice rough. Weirdly, the thought of his baby out there in the darkness troubled Legolas more than anything. Everything seemed so much more threatening after the sun set and he longed to have his son sleeping safely in the nursery next door. In reality, he was probably cold and scared out there with those cruel Men.

"I know," Elrond sighed, sharing Legolas' concerns. "How are you feeling, melleth nin?"

He was genuinely worried about Legolas' wounds, which seemed to cause the Elf considerable pain despite the fact that he never once complained about them. All he did though was stand by the window or pace around the bedroom, his eyes firmly avoiding looking at the now completely deserted nursery. He refused to eat, barely drank and flat out refused to sleep for fear of missing something. Elrond knew he longed to be out searching for Aldarion – in truth, he felt exactly the same way – but Glorfindel still had them under constant guard and Elrond had to agree with this decision as lord even if as a father he detested it.

"Fine," Legolas predictably dismissed vaguely.

"Legolas, will you please try to eat something for me? After three days you must be hungry."

The prince shook his head, resting it back against Elrond's shoulder. "Three days. He must be starving." A shiver ran through him. How long could a baby survive without nourishment- especially one so small? The thought of his baby starving out there with those awful men brought more tears to his eyes. Was his son cold? Was he hungry and thirsty? Was he hurt. Legolas wished he could tell. He had heard that a parent's bond with his father was absolute. Often his own father had said that he would always tell if his son was upset or in pain, but standing at the window miles away from his baby, Legolas couldn't even really tell if Aldarion was still alive. Despite this, he had to believe that Aldarion was all right. He just had to.

"He'll be all right," Elrond told him, as if he was thinking exactly the same thing as his partner.

"You don't know that," Legolas whispered. "We don't know." Tears fell from his eyes and he turned in Elrond's embrace to bury his face in his love's neck.

"We do. He'll be all right," Elrond replied firmly, running his hands over Legolas' back as he cried. His heart broke at the sight of his love falling apart. He knew that the prince had been struggling to hold it together for days but he felt tears prick at his eyes as he held Legolas close to him.

He vaguely noticed Arwen and Erestor standing in the doorway, obviously ready to offer their help as they did several times an hour.

"I want him back," Legolas sobbed, holding onto Elrond tightly.

"So do I, melleth nin. So do I." He rocked gently from side to side, hoping to offer himself some comfort as well as Legolas. It seemed to work, as just a few moments later, Legolas' cries quietened and he slowly pulled away, wiping his face with his sleeve. Elrond wiped his own teary face, noticing that the other two Elves who had been standing the doorway had now disappeared to give them some privacy. "Why don't you come and lie down, try to rest?" Elrond suggested softly, stroking Legolas' hair back.

The prince shook his head though, saying, "I can't sleep."

"I know. Me neither," Elrond said understandingly. "Come and have something to eat at least. Please, my love. Starving yourself will not help Aldarion," he coaxed gently, leading Legolas into the lounge where Arwen and Erestor immediately leapt to their feet. "Here, sit down." He led the blonde Elf to sit on the couch and turned to his daughter and major domo. "Can you bring us some food and tea please?"

Both nodded and all but ran from the room, glad for something to do. The lack of things to keep themselves occupied with was beginning to grate upon all their nerves.

Meanwhile, Elrond quickly retrieved his medicine bag and picked out a vial of painkilling herbal liquid.

"Drink this; it'll ease the pain I know you're still suffering." Legolas took the vial reluctantly but Elrond assured gently, "Don't worry; it won't put you to sleep." Under the circumstances, there was no way he could drug Legolas into sleep; it wouldn't be fair. One look into Elrond's eyes convinced the prince of his sincerity and he gratefully downed the pale liquid. Their food arrived in record time and Erestor had provided plenty of it, far more than just two people could eat. "Thank you. Eat something, melleth nin." Legolas nodded despite the fact that he had absolutely no appetite whatsoever. Whilst Elrond tucked into the food, Legolas picked at the fruit, hating the fact that while he enjoyed food his son could very well be going hungry for another night. Guilt wracked him and yet he cleared his plate only to please the others. Little did he know that beside him Elrond was doing exactly the same thing. Eventually, a sufficient amount of food had been eaten and Erestor gathered the plates to take them away.

"Is there anything else we can get you?" Arwen asked.

"No thank you. You and Erestor go on to bed, get some rest," Elrond smiled at her thoughtfulness.

"Are you sure, Ada?"

"Yes. You have been here all day. Get some rest." She nodded and came forward to kiss her father's forehead softly. "Goodnight, my love."

"Goodnight Ada. Legolas. Try to sleep if you can."

"We will," Elrond smiled falsely. She returned the gesture and left her father alone with Legolas. Gently, Elrond pulled Legolas back against him and, after tensing for a brief moment, Legolas leaned gratefully against him. Tender fingers ran through Legolas' golden hair and the prince sighed. "How are you feeling now?"

"All right," Legolas replied in a quiet voice.

"What about your stomach?" Elrond asked, fully aware that the kick he had taken to the still vulnerable and healing birth canal had caused some damage and that the bruising, redness and swelling had not yet faded.

"Sore," the prince confirmed.

Elrond nodded. "It will be for a while yet. As will your ribs." He was also worried about Legolas' crushed hand. Of course, the prince never complained about any of this but it didn't ease Elrond's concern. Really, Legolas needed to be in bed recovering rather than pushing himself to the limits. He could not, however, force Legolas into anything. "That medicine should start to work soon," he said sympathetically and Legolas nodded against him. "Why don't you close your eyes for a while? Try to rest if…"

Legolas shook his head, tears forming in his eyes as Elrond tenderly smoothed his ruffled hair out of his pale face. "I can't sleep," he said thickly, his voice rough again.

"Come on." Elrond eased him to lie down so his head was resting on his lap. "Lie down. If you can't sleep you can at least rest. You need to rest."

"I can't…Aldarion."

"There is nothing we can do right now. Running yourself into the ground isn't going to help anyone. At least try." Although Legolas maintained that he could find no rest, Elrond knew fully well that for the past two days he had been draining what small amount of energy he had managed to build up since the birth and those reserves were very nearly exhausted and that the prince couldn't possibly last much longer at his current pace.

"I miss him," Legolas whispered a moment later.

"Me too," Elrond agreed quietly, running his fingers soothingly through golden hair, as much to comfort himself with the familiar movement as to please Legolas. "But we have to remain strong. Glorfindel will find him. He will come home. We will get him back. You have to believe that."

"I'm trying," Legolas said tearfully.

"I know." Elrond rested his head back with a sigh. The warmth of the fire and his comfort was making him feel drowsy. Like Legolas, he had not even bothered to lie down in the past two days, knowing that his dark thoughts would prevent sleep from taking him. Now, after three days though it was beginning to catch up with him and he was growing worn out. He opened his eyes when he heard Legolas stifling a yawn. "It is so comfortable here," Elrond smiled, resuming his smoothing over Legolas' hair and he received a nod of agreement. The prince's long, delicate – uninjured – fingers were running along the seam of Elrond's leggings, as if he was trying to simultaneously distract himself and keep himself alert. Elrond smiled softly at the action.

"I'm tired," Legolas murmured tiredly, trying to stifle another yawn.

Not entirely surprised by the admission, Elrond nodded and corrected, "You must be exhausted." A small nod was all he got in response. "Then try to sleep for a couple of hours, melleth nin. Go on, close your eyes. I'll wake you if anything changes."

"Promise?" Legolas asked sleepily, shifting his aching head on Elrond's lap to get more comfortable.

"I promise, my love. Sleep."

Legolas nodded, his eyes drifting closed for the first time in days. His exhausted body clearly needed the rest, as his breathing immediately evened out and he relaxed against his Elven pillow.

When he was certain that Legolas was asleep, Elrond's fingers stilled in blonde hair and he let his head fall back again.

Before he too could fall asleep though, the door opened and Glorfindel stepped in. Elrond looked over expectantly to find Glorfindel looking guilty that he had disturbed the couple. Elrond motioned for Glorfindel to come in but shushed him, not wanting to wake Legolas.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were asleep," Glorfindel apologised in a whisper, crouching beside the couch. "If I'd known I wouldn't have disturbed you."

"It's all right. No news?" Elrond asked equally as quietly. He knew the answer just by glancing at his seneschal's face.

"I'm sorry, no." The Elven lord nodded, trying to temper his disappointment. "Did you drug him?" Glorfindel asked, nodding to Legolas, who was still sound asleep.

"No, he's exhausted." Elrond glanced down at the young Elf. "He needs to sleep."

"Then I'll leave you alone," Glorfindel said, standing up and placing his hand on his lord's shoulder. "Get some rest too, my lord."

"I will try, mellon nin," Elrond smiled sadly.

**To Be Continued…**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who's still reading.**

**Please leave a review, I love to get them and know what you're all thinking.**


	23. Ransom

Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****Yes this is an m-preg, as in male pregnancy. I know anatomically it is impossible in the real world but I like the idea (mainly for the Legolas suffering that goes with it). Please, if you are dead set against this kind of thing then don't read then complain that you weren't warned.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 23 ~ Ransom**

**OIOI**

With a backpack full of stolen goods from the town, Corvell crept on nearly silent feet towards Lord Elrond's huge home. The place was absolutely crawling with guards and the grounds were well-lit with torches. As he moved forwards in the shadows, Corvell saw a group of Elves ride into the courtyard and gracefully dismount. He recognised one of the Elves as the young lord of Imladris, Elrond's grown son. The group met an Elf Corvell easily recognised as Rivendell's seneschal and he felt anger rise in him. He truly hated that smug blonde Elf. The group disappeared into the house and soon the courtyard was quiet again. For all his bravado, Corvell wasn't so dumb as to walk right up to the front door to deliver the ransom note. No, that required a far stealthier approach.

Pleased to be doing something after days of being cooped up in the old house with the overbearing Calvain and screaming baby, Corvell crept around the back of the house, all the time keeping to the shadows and being especially careful not to be spotted. Finally, he made it to the little-used back entrance and smiled when he saw only one Elven guard on duty there. Apparently security wasn't paramount in this particular part of the house. Even so, he crouched behind a bush in the darkness to watch the entrance for a while, making absolutely sure he would not be challenged. After a while, he made up his mind and reached for the knife and letter tucked safely in his pocket. Deciding that it would be better to make the Elven guard come to him instead of risking attracting more soldiers at the entrance to the house, Corvell picked up twig and threw it a couple of feet in front of him.

The sharp Elven ears picked up the sound easily and sharp eyes looked in the direction of the noise, his hand tightening on the long sword at his side. He stood absolutely still and listened for any further disturbance in the garden. Apart from the ever-present whooshing of Rivendell's many waterfalls and the odd owl hooting, there was nothing out of place.

Dismayed by the lack of attention from the Elven soldier, Corvell rolled his eyes and reached out to rustle the leaves on the bush behind which he was hiding. This really did grab the Elf's attention and he stepped forward cautiously.

Although he guessed it was just an animal making the noise, the guard knew that he had to be certain so went to investigate. They were, after all, on high alert. As he approached the bush, he felt himself tense and become wary. Just as he reached it though and his hand tightened on the hilt of his sheathed sword, a small rabbit hopped out suddenly, making him jump. As the rabbit innocently hopped away into the night, the young guard sighed in relief then laughed at his stupidity. He let go of his sword and smiled to himself when he thought of what his colleagues would say if they ever heard about his late night encounter with a little bunny.

Just as he turned to return to his post though, he was suddenly grabbed from behind and found himself in secure arms with a knife at his throat and a hand clamped over his mouth to prevent him from shouting for aid.

"Even think about calling out and I'll slit your throat, understand?" a deep voice growled in his ear. Realising that he was well and truly detained, the Elf nodded carefully, mindful of the blade at his neck. The hand was removed from his mouth and he wisely kept quiet. "Give this to your lord." A letter was thrust into his hand and he clutched it tightly. "I'm going to let you go. Don't even think about trying anything. If I don't return to the others within twenty minutes, my colleague will kill your lord's brat, am I clear?" Another small nod from the guard. "Good man."

Suddenly, the knife was removed and the Elven guard was thrown hard to the ground. By the time he had leapt to his feet, the garden was deserted again, so he ran around to the front of the house, shouting for help.

**OIOI**

Corvell, out of breath and drenched in sweat, burst into the old house and slammed the door closed behind him.

Immediately, Corvain appeared from the bedroom. "Keep quiet, you idiot!" he hissed, taking a quick peek out the window to check no one had been summoned by the racket. He turned to the young man and asked, "Is it done?"

"Message delivered."

Corvain grinned and clapped the blonde man on the back. "There is hope for you yet, boy."

Smiling under the praise, Corvell slipped the bag off his shoulder and reached inside to pull out two bottle of ale. "If you liked that, then you'll love this."

"Ha-ha. Good man, Corvell," he laughed, taking the bottles off the younger man.

"And I got milk for…"

"Give it to Allun," Calvain ordered, strolling into the bedroom.

Corvell followed him then thrust the milk towards the older man still propped against the far wall. "Feed him," he demanded and a shaking hand took the bottle off him. Corvell was rather startled at the once proud diplomat's appearance. Even in the dim light of the bedroom he could see the bloodstain on the front of his shirt and he was so pale it was unsettling. His face was drenched in sweat and he was trembling uncontrollably.

"It's cold," the old man stated.

"So?"

"Just feed the child and make it stop crying," Calvain told him.

"Why does it look like that? It's…grey," Corvell asked, peering down at the baby.

"He hasn't eaten in days," Allun said, holding the bottle carefully to Aldarion's mouth. The baby just squirmed though, as if he had forgotten how to eat. "Come on, little one, open up." Allun gently pressed his finger against Aldarion's lips to ease his mouth open. "That's it." Very carefully, he trickled a tiny amount of milk into the baby's mouth. Aldarion clearly didn't like this new way of eating as he started fussing again but let Allun continue nonetheless. "I know, you're hungry, aren't you?" Clearly, the hunger over-ruled his annoyance, as he quickly downed the bottle of cold milk.

**OIOI**

The door to Elrond's rooms burst open with such strength that it rattled the walls and startled both Elrond and Legolas awake instantly. The Elven lord blinked rapidly and asked, "Glorfindel?"

"My lord…"

"What is it?" Elrond asked in utter dread when he saw the look on his seneschal's face and the tone of his voice as Legolas painfully sat up.

"One of the fugitive Men came to the House tonight and attacked a guard," Glorfindel said quickly, out of breath from running all the way through the Last Homely House.

"What?" Elrond exclaimed, standing up now that his lap was Legolas-free. The prince also stood, although more carefully, tensing immediately and reaching down to grab Elrond's hand. "Glorfindel, what is wrong?" Elrond demanded, knowing that there was something more. "Tell us, please," he urged when Glorfindel hesitated, which actually was only making them more anxious.

"The guard said that the Man told him to give you this." He held out a dirty, rumpled envelope to Elrond.

The lord of Imladris just stared at it for along moment, his heart hammering in his chest. "What is it?" he asked in an uncharacteristically small voice.

Glorfindel shook his head. "Apparently it is for your eyes only."

The Lord reached out to take the envelope with a trembling hand. The paper was physically light but in Elrond's hand it felt all too weighty with importance. He knew this was about Aldarion. It had to be. He released Legolas' hand but felt the younger Elf hold onto his arm lightly instead, as if he needed some form of contact to keep himself grounded.

Turning the envelope over in his hands, Elrond saw his name scrawled inelegantly on the front. He took a deep breath and pulled at the plain seal to reveal a piece of paper inside. With shaking hands, he eased the paper from its casing, handing the envelope to Glorfindel. As soon as he opened the folded letter, his fingers trembled even further as a small lock of soft, dark hair fell out into his palm. It was the words that nearly broke him though:

'ELROND, IF YOU WANT YOUR CHILD TO LIVE, AGREE TO THE TERMS SET OUT BY LORD ALLUN PREVIOUSLY. NO MORE HAVE TO DIE. WE WILL CONTACT YOU AGAIN.'

"Oh, Valar," Legolas gasped from beside him. His hand, shaking uncontrollably, went to his mouth as if to prevent his cries escaping and his legs suddenly went weak beneath him. It wasn't so much the words themselves that made him feel faint – they already knew that Aldarion was in the hands of the Gondorian negotiators - but rather the fact that the words were written in blood. "Aldarion," he whispered as he swayed on his feet.

It was lucky Glorfindel noticed and managed to catch him before he collapsed because Elrond was staring blankly at the paper and lock of hair in his hands. Only Legolas' rapid breathing and sobbing made him blink and look away from the ransom note and he was startled to find Legolas hunched over on the couch with Glorfindel trying to calm him.

"No! No, please no," Legolas sobbed inconsolably.

Elrond turned and rather roughly shoved Glorfindel out of his way. He placed the letter face down on the table and crouched down, taking Legolas' shaking hands in his own. "Legolas, look at me. Look at me, my love. You need to calm yourself down."

Legolas shook his head, tears running freely down his pale face. "No. His…blood…Aldarion."

"No, Legolas, listen to me; the blood is not Aldarion's. It's clearly Human not Elven. Do you understand? It's not Elven blood, melleth nin," Elrond told him quickly.

Still drawing in shuddering gasps of air, Legolas met Elrond's own wide eyes. "It's not…Aldarion's?"

"No, it's not Aldarion's blood."

"Are you certain?" Legolas demanded, gripping Elrond's hands so tightly that he would have complained had he not been doing the same thing back.

"Absolutely positive. Listen, if they want a ransom then they need him alive, all right?" Elrond said, trying to process the information he had at the same time. Now that the initial shock and terror had worn off a little he was able to think clearly and sensibly. Aldarion was alive and would remain so for the time being. He was definitely with the Gondorians and they needed him. What's more they now had something to bargain with. It wasn't ideal but it was more than they had had before. "It will be all right, my love."

"It's not all right," Legolas shouted shakily. "They have my son!"

"May I?" Glorfindel asked, pointing to the upside down letter on the table. Elrond nodded so he picked it up gently as if demanded respect. Sharp blue eyes scanned the grisly lettering, confirming his lord's belief that it was printed in human blood rather than elven. "This isn't Allun's writing," he told them after a moment.

Elrond looked up at him from trying to comfort Legolas and asked, "What?"

No one had noticed that Elrond's other children had arrived as well as Erestor, to find out if the rumours that one of the kidnappers had approached the secure house were true. Only when Erestor, who was now peering over Glorfindel's shoulder, spoke did Elrond even realise that anyone else was there.

"That is definitely not Lord Allun's writing, my Lord," Erestor confirmed.

"How can you be sure?" Elrond asked in a much weaker voice than he would have liked.

The advisor quirked him a small, humourless smile and said, "I have dealt with enough of the Gondorian paperwork to recognise their leader's writing and that is not it, I'm absolutely certain of it."

"That leaves two unaccounted for: Calvain and the younger one…" Glorfindel said, searching for the name of the youngest diplomat.

Always reliable, Erestor put in, "Corvell." 

"Right."

"As we suspected," Elrond mused softly.

"But what about Lord Allun? We still haven't found him, have we?" Erestor asked.

Grimly, Glorfindel said, "It is human blood."

"Then you think he is dead?"

"I don't care!" Legolas suddenly yelled at them. "I want my son! Find me my son!"

"Shh," Elrond soothed, sitting on the couch and pulling the sobbing prince into his arms. "Get my bag," he quietly instructed Elladan who stood closest to the bedroom door. The elder twin nodded and rushed into his father's room to fetch the medicine bag he had put there a couple of days ago. He placed the bag on the couch next to his father and opened it for him. Elrond reached in and retrieved a vial of dark green liquid.

"Legolas, drink this for me," he instructed over the prince's sobbing. Legolas was too distraught to even care what it was he was being given and downed the mixture without protest. Elrond tossed the empty vial back into his bag and wrapped Legolas in a tight hug. "Shh, it's all right," he soothed, rocking him slightly as he cried.

A couple of minutes later, the crying died down and Legolas relaxed in Elrond's tight embrace. The Elven lord held him for a moment longer then released him, stood and carefully lifted the prince into his arms. Ignoring the others in the lounge, he carried Legolas into the bedroom and placed him down carefully on the bed.

"Wha…?" Legolas murmured as Elrond pulled a blanket over him.

"Shh, I've given you something to relax."

"You…"

Elrond bent down and kissed his cool forehead and whispered, "Go to sleep, melleth nin. You'll feel better when you wake."

Legolas wanted to fight it, he really did. He wanted to yell at Elrond for drugging him, wanted to go out and hunt down and kill the Men who had taken his son away from him. As hard as he tried to stay awake though, he couldn't and before he could even attempt to get up, he had fallen into unwanted but inviting blackness.

Elrond waited until Legolas was asleep before going to join the others in the lounge. He sighed and leant back against the door after he'd closed it. "He's asleep," he told the others.

"That's probably for the best right now, Ada," Arwen said softly, taking her father's limp hand and leading him over to the sofa so he could sit down. "I'm going to make you some tea," she stated, gliding gracefully out the door, intent on helping her father in some small way.

"What do we do about his demands?" Elrond asked the others, trying desperately to slip back into his lord-mode. Father-mode was too difficult to bear right then.

The others all sat down, Glorfindel replacing the ransom note on the table in the centre. Bravely, it was the seneschal who spoke up first. "My lord, you cannot give them what they want."

Everyone in the room fell silent after this. Eventually, Elrond said harshly, "They have my son."

"I know that."

"Lord Elrond, I have to agree with Glorfindel. It is unrealistic to give them everything they have asked for," Erestor backed up Glorfindel, his voice calm and sensible as ever. "Not to mention the construction of the proposed road would take months at best. It is unreasonable to suppose we would allow your son to be kept by them for that amount of time." Despair welled in Elrond's chest at the thought of his child in the hands of those human monsters for months on end. As a father, his first instinct was to immediately agree to whatever the kidnappers were asking for but the more pragmatic side of him knew that Erestor and Glorfindel were correct. He couldn't give them what they demanded. "My Lord, you cannot give in to their demands. I know that every fibre of your being is telling you to do just that but you cannot."

Elrond nodded slowly. "I know, mellon nin."

"Perhaps we can negotiate with them," Elrohir suggested.

"They attacked a guard and sent me a note supposedly in my new born baby's blood, ion nin; I don't think they can be talked into submission," Elrond said more harshly than he had meant to and he felt guilt wash over him when his son shrank back. "I'm sorry, ion nin. This isn't your fault."

"It's all right," Elrohir smiled, forgiveness already freely given.

"I think your father is right, Elrohir. If Lord Allun is no longer in control…" Glorfindel started.

"And I don't think he is. I've gotten to know Allun a little over the past months and he seems too patient and sensible to do something so irrational," Erestor put in.

Glorfindel nodded and continued, "If Allun is no longer in control and these two underlings are willing to do something so reckless they are not sensible enough to bargain with. I mean, look at the way they have gone about this. They try to kill Prince Legolas and fail. According to the note they still believe him dead so they clearly don't know what they're doing and they have no accomplices within the House. They take Aldarion but it takes them two days to get themselves organised and send a ransom note that is, frankly, sloppy at best. They then demand something they must surely know would be impossible to agree to. And yet they clearly haven't killed Aldarion, so they must believe that they can get their demand granted. All in all, it is a poorly planned endeavour," Glorfindel worked through the facts with efficiency Elrond could only dream of right then.

"So, what do we do? If we can't give them what they want and we can't negotiate, what does that leave?" Elladan asked, sitting forward.

"Well, we know something else," Glorfindel said. "We now know for certain that they are still in Imladris and that they have Aldarion with them. Which means they must be close by."

"But we've searched everywhere," Elrohir sighed.

"Actually," Elladan said thoughtfully, "we assumed that they would be trying to get as far away as possible so we searched the roads and near the borders."

"You're saying we should search closer to home?" Elrohir mused. "We should concentrate our efforts on the town."

"If they have been hiding in Rivendell for three days it would be more likely that they have found somewhere to hole up. If they have any sense at all they would know that we were looking for them so they'd go somewhere quiet, out of the way of people so they wouldn't be spotted," Glorfindel added, pleased they were thinking clearly and sensibly about this. That was what they needed – practical ideas.

Elladan shrugged and suggested, "Empty or abandoned buildings?"

"Somewhere out of the way. Probably the first quiet place they could find if they were in a hurry."

"That could be just about anywhere. There are empty residences all over Imladris," Elrohir sighed.

"We're narrowing it down," Glorfindel assured him kindly.

"So should we start searching the town and outer settlements, Ada?" Elladan asked his father who so far had been listening to the conversation in silence.

He sat forward as his son addressed him. "If they realise we have no intention of giving them what they ask for, they will realise that they no longer need to keep Aldarion alive. If you're going to do it, do it quickly and quietly."

"If?" Elladan asked uncertainly, unsure whether his father had really agreed or not. "My Lord?"

Elrond shook his head gently and looked down at the floor to hide the fear in his eyes from his sons. The twins both looked to Glorfindel and Erestor for an explanation.

The ancient and wise seneschal of Imladris understood Elrond's predicament and explained softly, "Your father can't give that order, Elladan."

Elrond looked up to meet his friend's understanding eyes.

"Why?" Elrohir asked, not catching on.

"Because if you're not successful…they will kill Aldarion," Erestor said quietly as Elrond averted his gaze away from his children again. Sadness and understanding lit their eyes and they silently berated themselves for being so ignorant of what they had asked their father to do.

Glorfindel reached forward and gently placed his hand on Elrond's arm in comfort. "Start searching but be careful and be quick," he ordered firmly, taking the responsibility away from his lord and friend.

"Yes sir," the twins said in unison, both standing and leaving together. They didn't need further instructions. When it came to organising the troops, the twins were some of the best in Imladris. They knew what they were doing and both Elrond and Glorfindel trusted them implicitly.

Once they were gone, Elrond turned back to his golden-haired friend. "Thank you," he said in a whisper.

Glorfindel just nodded gently, offering him a small smile. There was no way he could ever have expected Elrond to give that particular order. Whereas Elrond could be cool and calm and reassuringly detached in most situations, when it involved his family he was far too emotionally involved. If it was the wrong order he would have certainly sentenced his own child to death. For all Elrond's strength, he couldn't do that. And Glorfindel would never ask any parent to do so. He would much rather give the order himself; take the blame for whatever the outcome.

"Do you think this will work, honestly?" Elrond asked his friend softly.

Glorfindel placed his hand on Elrond's and said, "We have time, my Lord Elrond. Trust in your sons."

"I do," Elrond nodded firmly.

Critical eyes swept over the downtrodden lord and he said kindly, "Get some rest, Elrond, you look exhausted."

Elrond ran his shaking hand down his face with a sigh. "I can't sleep."

"You could try."

"Every time I let my mind wander, it wanders to Aldarion."

"Then take something to help you…"

"No!" Elrond exclaimed.

"Why not?"

"Because my son is out there, Glorfindel. What if something happens whilst I'm asleep?"

"It will take the twins some time to search the town. Besides, I can wake you if something major occurs," Glorfindel reasoned, genuinely concerned about his friend.

"But…"

"But what?" Glorfindel smiled, knowing the dark-haired Elf was running out of excuses. "You were quick enough to drug Legolas into oblivion. So not make me take the same measures with you…my lord."

Elrond quirked him a smile at the implication that Glorfindel had the power to overrule him, which he supposed he did in this particular instance when one of his close family was involved. "Very well, mellon nin. I shall – begrudgingly – obey your command. Although I will only be taking half of what Legolas has been given, that way I can be easily woken should _anything_ change," he stressed sternly.

"Fair enough."

Elrond stood up but Glorfindel demanded, "Where do you think you're going?"

"To lie down."

"Without your medicine?" Glorfindel prompted.

Elrond looked down at his open medicine bag on the couch and asked, "Don't you trust me?"

"Not in the least," the Elda stated simply and with a completely straight face. "I think you will go into your bedroom, wait until I've gone then start your pacing again and get no proper rest at all."

"Were I a less benevolent ruler, you would be locked in the dungeons by now."

"Then I thank the Valar for your kind nature and our foresight not to build dungeons into Imladris," Glorfindel smiled, nudging the open bag. "Take your potion and go to sleep."

"You're going to stand and watch me?" Elrond asked incredulously as he retrieved a vial of the same mixture he'd given Legolas earlier.

"Indeed I am," the Elda confirmed, standing up.

"I am not a child in need of supervision," Elrond snapped in annoyance.

"I am aware of that, my lord, but you are notoriously stubborn. Take your concoction and get some rest; you deserve it, my friend."

Elrond's anger softened at the words and he obediently drank down half of the dark liquid in the glass vial. Guilt filled his mind when he thought that he would soon be resting whilst his son suffered out in the cold. Shoving it aside, he tried desperately to cling to his more rational nature. He needed that side of himself right then.

"Come on, mellon nin," Glorfindel said softly, laying his hand on Elrond's back and led him towards the bedroom. "Lie down for a while." Elrond obediently climbed under the blanket so Glorfindel quietly backed out of the room, closing the door behind him. Before he left though, he just saw Elrond roll onto his side and drape his arm over Legolas' chest, sigh and close his eyes. With a small smile, Glorfindel left his lord to sleep.

**OIOI**

Elladan and Elrohir mounted their horses once more. It had been nearly a whole day since Glorfindel had given them the order to search Imladris and they were moving methodically through Imladris as quickly as possible. They knew their homeland like the backs of their hands, which made it easier to at least find the places the human's might hide. Even so, they knew it would still take a fair while to search every possible place. Their patience was stretched thin as it was. Both were desperate to find their little brother and they just wanted to be able to go back to their father with some good news. Neither could bear to return home with nothing but bad news, to see their father and Legolas even more devastated than they already were.

"Let's check nearer to the town. Maybe we'll get lucky," Elladan suggested as they guided their horses through the streets.

"Elladan, so you think we'll get him back?" Elrohir asked quietly, almost reluctantly.

"Don't let Glorfindel or Ada hear you talking like that. He'll be fine. He has to be."

"Do you think that Ada and Legolas would sail if…the worst should happen?"

Elladan looked over at his brother in surprise. "I don't know. I hadn't really considered it. He never mentioned it after Anara. And you know that he is tied to Imladris. He'd never leave Rivendell behind," he reasoned, trying to reassure himself as much as his brother.

"But what about Legolas? Without the responsibility of ruling Mirkwood in the future, what does he have to stay here for?"

"Ada," Elladan said simply and without hesitation.

"Right, because they've been so close lately," the younger twin drawled sarcastically. "They haven't exactly been getting along since the birth."

"They've been through a lot."

"I know. I don't know what we'd do if Ada left Middle Earth."

"Don't think about it. He will stay in Rivendell no matter what."

"Even if Legolas leaves?" Elrohir asked in a small voice.

The twin was silent for a while, mostly because he honestly didn't know the answer. Their father had never spoken to them about his plans for the future. He had spent years at a time without Legolas at his side when the prince was confined by his father in Mirkwood. Whether he would be able to cope if they were permanently separated, the twins didn't know.

"Come on, let's check the town," Elladan told his brother. They had to find Aldarion.

**To Be Continued…**


	24. The Path To Redemption

Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****Yes this is an m-preg, as in male pregnancy. I know anatomically it is impossible in the real world but I like the idea (mainly for the Legolas suffering that goes with it). Please, if you are dead set against this kind of thing then don't read then complain that you weren't warned.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 24 ~ The Path to Redemption**

**OIOI**

A cool breeze wafting over him woke Allun from a sleep he hadn't even realised he'd fallen into. He cracked his eyes open to look around the dark house. He found that he was now lying on his side at a rather awkward angle, having obviously finally passed out from the blood loss. The wound was still oozing blood although Allun was surprised that there was any of the precious liquid in his veins after so many days. His body already felt perilously weak, his head felt as though it were packed full of cloth and his heart pounded falteringly in his chest. As the room around him, illuminated by only a couple of flickering candles, span worryingly, Allun became aware of the slight weight resting on his legs. Blearily, he moved his head down to find the baby half lying on his lap and half propped on the floor. The little bundle was wriggling discontentedly, probably because there hadn't been enough milk left to feed him that day. By now the poor little thing must have been feeling the hunger. He had even given up screaming, perhaps realising that making a lot of noise didn't really get him anywhere.

Painfully, Allun reached down to try to pick up the baby but found that his arms were really too weak to lift even the slight weight of the baby. He moaned softly as pain laced over his injured shoulder and shot down his arm and chest. The moan was answered by a loud snort off to one side and he looked around toward the sound to find that Calvain was slumped back against the wall from where he had been keeping watch at the curtained windows, he was snoring loudly as he clutched a nearly-empty bottle of ale. Annoyance raced through Allun when he thought that Corvell, on his trip into town two nights before, had only brought one bottle of milk and yet many, many bottles of alcohol.

The younger man was nowhere to be seen and Allun couldn't hear him anywhere in the creaky old house. He listened for a moment, trying to discern if there was any movement anywhere else in the house, Corvell was restless by nature after all. However, the whole place was silent. A sudden thought entered his fuzzy mind and his faltering heart thumped a little harder in anticipation. All he needed to do was to get up, which in reality was easier said than done. The moment he tried to move though, he felt so dizzy that he honestly believed he would pass out again. Only the small, gurgling baby against his leg kept him conscious. Blinking to clear his vision, Allun forced his aching, weak body to obey his commands and sat up stiffly, having to bite his lip from a sound of pain escaping him.

After a struggle – and an awful lot of silent but colourful cursing – the man was finally sat upright and had managed to grab the baby before he slid fully to the dusty wooden floor. Trying to control his ragged breathing wasn't easy, especially seeing as he felt like he couldn't draw enough oxygen into his aching lungs and he was trying to be as quiet as possible.

When the breathlessness and dizziness had eased to a more acceptable level, Allun carefully lifted the baby into his arms before casting a glance around him once more. Calvain was snoring loudly and Corvell remained missing from the room. For the first time in near enough a week, the two prisoners remained unguarded. Had he not been feeling so utterly terrible, Allun would have laughed at their stupidity. There was no time for gloating though. No guards meant that he could get himself and lord Elrond's son away from the other two men.

The first hurdle was the fact that his legs felt so weak he could barely move them let alone stand. Even so, he had to try. He knew that neither could last much longer as they were. He would bleed to death and the child would starve. No, he had to at least try.

Checking that the coast remained clear, Allun made certain that the tiny bundle was secure in his arms then, calling on strength he didn't know he possessed, he forced himself to slide up the wall, using it for both balance and support. His weak, jelly-like legs would barely work and a couple of times they shook so much that he feared they might buckle. And that wasn't the only problem. His heart pounded so hard against his ribcage that it actually hurt, his chest and shoulder felt like they were on fire, his lungs burned under the effort of his strained breathing, his head span worryingly and nausea rose in his – mercifully empty – stomach.

Despite all this – and having no clue how he had managed it – Allun was on his feet, leaning back against the wall, trying to calm his breathing and wait for his combined maladies to pass. A small part of him was vaguely aware of the weight nestled in his arms and room around him. Really, he would only hope that he hadn't woken Calvain or attracted the attention of the still unaccounted-for Corvell.

Once he was in control of himself again, Allun opened his eyes, having to blink the sweat of exertion from his eyes. Calvain snoring had quietened only marginally and no one else was present in the room. However, if merely standing up had exerted him in this way, what was walking going to do to him? It couldn't possibly be worse than what Calvain would do to him though, so he gingerly pushed off from the relative safety of the wall, having to pause a moment to regain his balance, and took a cautious step forward. When he didn't fall flat on his face he considered it a triumph and he took another step, fully prepared to fall down in a way that wouldn't hurt the tiny life in his arms.

He had made it halfway across the room when his foot hit something and he heard the unmistakeable clink of glass. Wincing at the clattering sound, he looked down to find his foot had kicked one of the glass bottles previously filled with ale but now lying empty on the floor of the bedroom. A loud snort reminded him of the danger in the room and he looked back at Calvain in concern. The man was in the same position, although he was sleeping less deeply than he had been before, which was definitely not good. He would have preferred the big, dangerous man to be completely dead to the world and not teetering on wakefulness. Thankfully, the man remained sleeping and that would have to be good enough for now.

With great difficulty, Allun took extra care navigating himself quietly across the cluttered room as well as keeping himself on his feet and holding onto the baby. It was no easy feat considering the whole room was swimming before his eyes. Only one other minor hiccup halted his progress. He stumbled slightly, very nearly falling to his knees and kicking another bottle across the room. Immediately, he froze and looked again to Calvain who had now stopped snoring and was stirring restlessly. Allun could have sworn, he was so annoyed with himself. He was supposed to be quiet and he couldn't afford to make another mistake like that.

Once the big man seemed a little more settled, Allun started shuffling again but then in the darkness bright blue eyes looked up at him and Aldarion opened his mouth in protest.

"Shh, little one. Be quiet," the man muttered under his breath.

Aldarion's recent neglect now actually proved to be a blessing, as his throat was too dry for any sound to escape. Allun's heart ached for the child but he was grateful that he couldn't make any sound. With the baby gaping silently in his arms, Allun continued onwards towards the doorway, making sure he paid extra attention to the lightly slumbering Calvain.

After what seemed like an agonising eternity, Allun and Aldarion finally reached the doorway. Now all they had to do was traverse the rest of the house. Turning around, Allun was pleased to find that Calvain was still sleeping, undisturbed by the movement around him.

With a small smile of triumph, the human diplomat turned carefully back to the exit and with a start of surprise found himself face to face with Corvell.

Shock turned to horror that he had been caught when the young blonde man frowned at him, his eyes – not dulled by alcohol – taking in the sight of the old former leader carrying the baby they were holding ransom away.

"What are you doing?" Corvell asked firmly of his old mentor.

Searching for an answer that wouldn't get both himself and the infant killed, Allun tried desperately to get his fuzzy, sluggish mind to work properly. "I…er, we…I…We were going to the bathroom," was all he could come up with.

Corvell looked him up and down, taking in his filthy, stained robes. "No you're not." Calvain never gave permission for the older man to get up and a glance over Allun's shoulder confirmed that the new leader of the group remained asleep so could not have given his permission this time. "Why have you got that?" he asked, pointing to the writhing baby in Allun's arms.

Looking down as if he had only just noticed that the child was there, Allun answered vaguely. "He needed changing."

This, they both knew, was a lie too. Aldarion no longer wore any clothes to change. He was wrapped only in Allun's old jacket to keep him warm.

"You're trying to get away," Corvell stated.

"No! No, I'm not. I…"

"Shut up!"

Corvell went to grab him but Allun took a halting step backwards.

"Listen to me, Corvell, he is dying. He needs to be back with his father. He needs a warm bed and proper food. Please, let us go." The blonde man looked over at the sleeping Calvain. "He doesn't need to know. Just stand aside and let us pass. Calvain never has to know that you helped us." Seeing that his words were beginning to make an impression on the young man, Allun gave him the best pleading look he could muster in his condition, holding the baby up a little in the hope that it might sway him. One look at the brutish man by the window though made him think twice and Allun could see reluctance in his eyes once more. "Corvell, please. Look at him. He needs to be properly looked after or he'll die. You do not want that on your conscience, do you? It will be murder if you keep him here. You must know that Elrond cannot give you what Calvain has demanded. It is a ridiculous request that he had no choice but to deny."

"You…you don't know that," the young man stuttered.

"I have far more experience in negotiation than either of you and I know that what you are asking of him is impossible." He paused to allow this fact to sink in, although he thought it should have been obvious. "Please, Corvell. Think. This is an innocent child, he shouldn't suffer. You have already killed the prince, redeem yourself now," he pleaded quietly. "Corvell, please, let us go."

"But…we'll be locked up."

"Not by Elrond. He has no power over you. If you help us, I can get you back to Gondor."

Corvell shook his head, panic in his eyes. "One prison is much the same as another," he said wisely although with something bordering on terror.

"I have influence with the Steward, I can get you cleared of all charges when we get home," Allun said quickly and desperately.

"I…"

"All you have to do is stand aside."

Corvell's eyes darted from Allun to Corvell and back, then he seemed to come to a decision. Allun's hopes soared when he thought that he had finally gotten to the young man. Then they plummeted as Corvell drew his sword and shook his head. "I can't," he stated firmly, stepping forward and grabbing Allun's arm. As he did so, he shouted, "Cal! Cal!"

Realising that this may be his only chance, Allun used all his strength to shove the shouting man away and pushed past him, racing for the door as fast as his legs could carry him. He had very nearly reached the broken front door when something heavy collided with him, sending him crashing to the floor with a cry. He was unable to prevent crushing the baby beneath him but did all he could to shield him from further harm. Before he could even worry about what had happened to Aldarion he was hauled to his feet – no longer carrying the baby who remained on the floor, wailing – and brought face to face with a very much awake and extremely angry Calvain.

"You…" the big man growled, looking Allun distastefully up and down.

Allun struggled to get free but Calvain's grip was unshakable. Trying to pry the man's fingers from around his arm, Allun yelled, "Let me go!"

"Get the brat," Calvain ordered the young man, who was stood watching the scene unfolding before his eyes with wonder and horror.

"No!" Allun cried, fearing for the vulnerable child. He lashed out with the only weapons he possessed, his legs kicking as hard as he could at the man holding him, he struggled to get away. Corvell he might have been able to handle but Calvain was too strong for him under normal circumstances but in his weakened state it was almost impossible. However, his fear and protectiveness for the tiny son of Elrond gave him strength enough to lash out. His kicks connected with Calvain's heavy-set legs, making the man attempt to shy away.

"Leave that. Grab his legs," Calvain ordered, just as Corvell reached for the screaming baby.

Seeing an opening in Calvain's defences, Allun lifted his leg and kneed Calvain hard in his most vulnerable place and was rewarded with a sharp intake of breath in absolute agony. The tight grip loosened on Allun's arms and he was able to stumble back. Calvain's hands moved down to – too late – protect his tender lower regions and he fell to his knees, seemingly unable to draw breath.

Gaining his feet, Allun turned to run but a startled looking Corvell stood between him and the door.

"Grab him," Calvain gasped huskily from the floor.

Corvell took a step forward, drawing his sword awkwardly from its sheath. Before Allun could even think about moving his battered body past the younger man, a hand shot out and grabbed his trouser leg and pulled sharply so he fell to the floor in a flurry of arms and legs and a cloud of dust.

"Get the brat!" the big man repeated, having recovered enough to sit up straight.

"Leave him alone," Allun cried, kicking out at Calvain and trying to reach the baby.

"Oh no you don't," Calvain warned, prepared for what their former leader was planning to do. He carefully avoided the kicking legs and tried to pin Allun to the floor again. The old man was having none of it though. He fought Calvain with every ounce of his strength. "Stop struggling!" Calvain commanded uselessly.

"Get off me!" Allun yelled, this time aiming a kick at his attacker's stomach. It failed to connect but Calvain saw it coming and, perhaps remembering the pain from the last one, flinched back just enough for Allun to wriggle free. Unable to support himself, the older man reached out for the nearby table and tried to haul himself up but then Calvain was on top of him again. He was shoved against the decades old, rotting table with such force that he swore he heard something snap. Calvain grabbed him, spun him around and threw him back against the table with a shout of anger. The rotting wood gave way and the whole thing collapsed, taking Allun down with it.

With a fury the diplomat had never seen before Calvain dropped to his knees, drew his dagger and dragged Allun up by the shirt, making sure to put pressure on the old knife wound causing him to cry out again in pain.

Certain that his attempt at escape had well and truly failed and that he had not only doomed himself but the little baby as well, Allun suddenly felt all the fight go out of him and he became resigned to the fact that his end had at last come.

The glistening dagger was raised above him and he saw Calvain give a grin of absolute delight. Dark, terrifying madness glistened in deep brown eyes. "I should have done this days ago," he growled.

"Cal! Cal!" Corvell was shouting from the doorway. "Cal!"

"What?" the big man yelled, looking over at his younger companion in anger at being interrupted. He was pleased to see that the young man had at least listened to him in something and had retrieved the baby from the floor.

With wide, frightened eyes, Corvell pointed a trembling finger towards the two other men. "Fire," he said simply.

"What?" Calvain looked up, expecting to see a fallen candle or something. He certainly wasn't expecting to see the whole back half of the room ablaze and that the roaring fire was spreading quickly around the wooden room. Allun also followed the finger. How on earth they hadn't noticed that springing up he didn't know. It was with some satisfaction though that he noticed the starting point had been the candle he had knocked from the table during the struggle. Calvain's gaze drifted back down to his prisoner's and saw a bloody smile from there. "You…"

"Cal…" Corvell called as the flames climbed ever higher.

Before Calvain could answer though, Allun kicked him hard in the stomach, making him drop his weapon in surprise. With a new burst of strength that just moments ago would have seemed inconceivable, Allun started struggling once more underneath Calvain, not caring that the smoke in the room was getting so thick that it was making his eyes sting and his lungs burn nor that the heat was getting painful.

"Corvell, get the baby out of here," the old man shouted as he wrestled with Calvain.

"Stay where you are," the big man commanded, struggling to get ahold of Allun.

"Go!"

"Cal…" Corvell said softly, clearly torn between heeding his old master and saving his own life or staying to help his new commander and risk his safety.

"Get over here and help me," Calvain shouted above the roar of the growing fire and the baby's wails.

Allun shouted to the young man, "This is your chance to redeem yourself. Run! Go. Get out of here."

Hesitating for only a moment, Corvell took in the sight of the burning building and the two fighting men, then turned on his heel and ran from the burning building, ignoring Calvain's shout of anger. He flung the old front door open and raced through out into the street, looking behind him as if expecting to find the flames chasing him. He didn't get very far before he ran head long into something solid. With a sharp cry of surprise he fell hard to the ground. He managed to look up in the darkness to find himself staring in fright up at a stern looking dark-haired Elf. Gaping in horror and amazement, he didn't have time to react before he was dragged to his feet.

"You!" the dark Elf thundered, his hands unrelentingly strong. "Where is he? Where is Aldarion?"

Realising that the tall Elf was talking about the child – who was held in his arm beneath the folds of his thick cloak – Corvell ripped himself away and turned and ran. He got all of five feet before he ran into another Elf, this one identical to the other. Before he had the time to piece together that these were the twin sons of Elrond, he was surrounded in the street by Elven guards.

"Where is Aldarion?" the second dark Elf asked sternly.

"Tell us and we might let you live."

"Don't and we'll make certain that you…"

Before Elladan could even finish his sentence, the obviously terrified human threw, quite literally, a bundle at him. Moving fast to catch it as gently as he could, Elladan cradled the writhing bundle and pulled the rag it was covered in to reveal the tiny Elven face of his little brother.

With a look of disgust, Elrohir rushed forward and tackled the blonde man to the ground, making absolutely certain he couldn't get away.

"No! Get off!" Corvell cried as Elrohir pinned his arms behind his back.

"Arrest him," Elladan commanded from behind the guards. He wanted Aldarion completely out of harm's way.

"Wait. Calvain and Lord Allun," Corvell sobbed as he was surrounded by Elven guards.

"Where are they?" Elrohir asked, wanting to bring all three kidnappers back to the House where they would have to face his father and be held accountable for their actions.

"There. In there," Corvell said, nodding towards the burning building.

Elrohir looked to the old, abandoned house, its roof now almost completely engulfed in flames. His brother's cold voice from behind him made him turn. "Let them burn."

The twin fully understood his brother's anger but his conscience could not let these two men perish so awfully despite what they had done to his family. A pathetic cry of 'please' from the restrained blonde man confirmed his decision.

He threw his cloak off, followed by his tunic so they wouldn't flap about in the burning building, then moved towards the house.

"Elrohir, no!" Elladan yelled to his brother.

"Just take care of Aldarion. I'll be right back," Elrohir called back before plunging into the flaming structure.

**OIOI**

Allun's already depleted strength was almost completely drained and yet he continued to struggle with Calvain. Every time the big man tried to go for the door Allun struck out to stop him. All he wanted was for Corvell to get away with the baby. The big man grew more frantic as the flames began to surround them. The heat was so intense that they could feel it burning their skin even though it hadn't reached them yet. It had surrounded them, very nearly cutting off their only escape as if taunting them that their end was near.

As Allun grabbed at Calvain again, the big man let out a howl of anger and frustration. "Get off me, you moron," he shouted above the roar of the flames. "Are you completely stupid? Let me go!" the man yelled. "You'll kill us both."

"I'm already dead anyway," the older man muttered.

Calvain used all his strength to shove Allun off him and tried to scramble to his feet but Allun's hands wrapped around his legs, knocking him flat on his face again and this time he fell so hard that it very nearly knocked him out. Dazed as he was, Calvain didn't notice Allun crawling over him and trying to get to the door and away from the fire. The man painfully dragged himself away, hauling his exhausted and weak body across the floor. He could barely breathe through his coughing, he couldn't see where he was going and the pain in his chest was nearing unbearable levels.

Behind him, he vaguely heard Calvain getting up and then the clattering of his hand groping for his fallen sword. Allun kept moving though, hoping that the smoke would work in his favour now. He had made it into the entrance hall when his hand connected with something leather. It was clearly a foot and it was then pulled away and he felt strong hands on his arms, pulling him to his feet. Once he was standing, he found himself inches away from an Elf he recognised as one of Elrond's sons.

"The baby…" Allun choked out, grasping at the Elf's shirt.

Elrohir frowned but answered, "He's fine. He's with my brother." The man actually looked relieved and he sagged against the tall Elf. "Let's get out of here," Elrohir said, propping the man up and slinging his arm over his shoulders.

As they walked – or rather stumbled – to the exit, though Calvain's calling Allun's name echoed through the house. Elrohir turned around, set to help the other man.

"No," Allun wheezed out in panic but before Elrohir had the chance to react, the brute of a man appeared staggering out of the smoke, sword raised threateningly in the air and pointed directly at Allun.

Seeing this and sensing the danger to both of them, the tall Elf snatched his own sword from its sheath at his side. As Elrohir pulled out his weapon, Calvain charged, his focus entirely on the human diplomat. It was almost as if he didn't even notice that Elrohir was there holding Allun up and now wielding an Elven sword. The human looked startled when instead of plunging his sword into Allun's exposed chest it crashed against the Elven blade. The much stronger Elf easily parried the blow.

"No!" Calvain screamed, shoving Elrohir's sword away and lunging for his target. With no other choice before him, Elrohir let go of Allun, wincing when the man dropped limply to the floor, and tried to grab at the other man but all Calvain did was swing wildly with his blade.

"Stop!" Elrohir shouted, having to defend himself against the attack. "I'm trying to help you!" The flames were growing by the second and Elrohir knew that the building wouldn't remain standing too much longer and that they needed to get out before the whole structure fell down on them.

"I'll kill you!" the deranged man yelled, charging again, this time with every intent of impaling Elrohir as well. The Elf could waste no more time on this and it was with deep regret that he parried the blow then thrust his sword forward right through the big man's chest. Calvain stopped suddenly as if completely surprised at the pain. He looked down at the sword sticking right through his abdomen and staggered backwards, his own weapon hitting the floor with a clatter.

Elrohir reached forwards, trying to grab the man to stop him falling but it was too late. Calvain stumbled and crashed backwards, being instantly engulfed in the flames. Unable to stand and watch the man burning to death, and worried about the ever-advancing flames, Elrohir turned, dragged Allun to his feet and headed towards the door. The diplomat was barely conscious anymore so Elrohir had to pull him along to the sound of Calvain's dying screams.

A moment later, he stumbled out the front door, pulling Allun along at his side. Immediately, several Elves ran forwards to help, taking the now completely unconscious man from Elrohir as the younger twin accepted help staggering away from the building. They had only gotten a few feet before the old house collapsed in on itself and was completely engulfed in flames.

Elrohir nodded to the Elves surrounding him that he was all right and walked over to a relieved looking Elladan, coughing harshly from the smoke. Elladan's arm was instantly around him and holding him close.

"Don't ever do that again," Elladan breathed.

"Sorry," his brother coughed with a quick smile. "How is Aldarion?"

"We should get him – and you for that matter – back to Ada."

Elrohir shook his head. "I'm not hurt." A cloak was draped over his shoulders and he fastened it gratefully. "Let's go." He mounted his horse easily and waited for his brother to do the same, more carefully with the baby in his arms. Moments later, they and their guards were off, leaving the other gathered Elves to take care of the prisoners and the fire. They could only think about getting their little brother back to their father and Legolas.

**To Be Continued…**


	25. Blame And Deliverance

Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****Yes this is an m-preg, as in male pregnancy. I know anatomically it is impossible in the real world but I like the idea (mainly for the Legolas suffering that goes with it). Please, if you are dead set against this kind of thing then don't read then complain that you weren't warned.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 25 ~ Blame and Deliverance**

**OIOI**

In Legolas and Elrond's chambers, any pretence of civility had long since gone. Legolas was still seething about being drugged previously and his mood had not been helped when Elrond had told him that he would not be agreeing to the human's demands. Even the guards outside the door had heard the shouting match that had followed. By the time that was over with, both were at their wits end. Elrond had retreated to the lounge, working through some of the papers on his desk whilst Legolas had remained in the bedroom staring out the window.

Although Elrond was growing concerned about the younger Elf's already precarious health, he knew better than to offer him any pain relief. The prince even refused to eat or drink anything now, fearing that Elrond would drug him unconscious again. Nothing Elrond said would relieve this fear and after a while the Elven Lord had stopped trying.

It was nearing dawn when Elrond started from his sleep. He was propped awkwardly on his desk, his cheek resting on a pile of papers he had been reading. He sat up stiffly with a yawn, trying to recall when he had gone from working to sleeping but the past days had all blurred together into one indistinguishable mess. He ran his hands down his face then turned his attention to what had woken him. For a minute, he listened for anything out of place but couldn't really distinguish anything different from before.

Then he heard it: a deep, heart-wrenching sobbing. Knowing it could only be one person, Elrond leapt out of his chair and rushed into the bedroom, looking frantically around for Legolas but the bedroom was empty. Still hearing the cries, Elrond pushed the bathroom door open to discover it also empty. That left only one place and he walked, rather reluctantly, into the nursery. What he saw very nearly broke his heart all over again.

Legolas was knelt on the floor in between the two empty cribs, hugging one of the children's cuddly stuffed animals to his chest and crying inconsolably. Without a moment's hesitation, Elrond strode over to the prince and dropped to his knees in front of him.

"Oh, my love," Elrond whispered, placing his hand on Legolas' arm.

The prince pulled back sharply at the touch and half-snapped, half-sobbed, "Don't touch me."

"Legolas…"

"Go away."

Ignoring the harsh and hurtful words, Elrond said softly, "Please, my…"

"Get away from me!" Legolas yelled. "You killed him! You did this to us!"

"What?"

"You wouldn't give them what they wanted," Legolas accused bitterly, wild blue eyes rising to meet Elrond's.

"No, Legolas. That wasn't possible, you know that."

"Shut up! You killed my baby!"

"Legolas, melleth nin, you need to calm down," Elrond soothed, trying to keep his voice steady and not let the young Elf's accusations get to him. Even so, they brought tears to his eyes.

"Don't tell me to calm down! Don't touch me!" the prince yelled when Elrond reached out to touch him again. "This is all your fault. Get out of my sight."

"Listen to me," the Elven lord demanded sternly of the near-hysterical prince. "Aldarion is not dead. He will be all right." He knew he sounded like an annoyed parent berating a disobedient child but he needed some way to get through to Legolas before he hurt himself.

"No. Get away from me!" Legolas yelled, hitting out at Elrond as best he could.

Grabbing Legolas' slapping hands, Elrond shouted, "Stop it. Legolas, stop!" The prince just cried louder as if he could no longer even control his emotions. Elrond grabbed Legolas' hands in his own and squeezed hard enough to hurt. "Damn it, Legolas. Pull yourself together, for Valar's sake!" Elrond shouted.

This seemed to work as Legolas' hands stilled in Elrond's and his cries stopped, his breathing calming to a more acceptable level. His eyes, still sad but calmer now at least, levelled with his partner's. Tears still ran down his pale cheeks.

"Elrond?" he whispered carefully and the Elven lord just smiled kindly, lifting his hand to wipe Legolas' face free of tears. "I'm sorry," the prince sobbed quietly. "I'm sorry."

Carefully, Elrond shuffled forwards and wrapped his arms around the trembling Elf. Rather than recoiling as he did before, Legolas leaned into the hug, melting against his partner, his head resting against Elrond's strong chest.

"It's all right," Elrond told him kindly. For a while he held the prince against him as he cried, tears falling down his own face. He hated this. He hated feeling so utterly helpless. He hated that he couldn't get their son back. He ached to have Aldarion back safe in his arms and he knew that Legolas felt the same.

Both would feel better if they could just have gone out and joined the search for their son but they were confined within these rooms, useless to everyone. Days of not knowing if their son was even alive had taken its toll on both of them and it was hardly surprising that Legolas had finally snapped.

**OIOI**

A while later, Legolas had laid down on the nursery floor with his head resting on Elrond's thighs, tears still slipping silently from his eyes and dampening the leggings beneath him. Not that Elrond noticed. The young prince was utterly spent after his breakdown, too exhausted to even move. One hand held Elrond's whilst the other clutched the stuffed toy to his chest as if it provided comfort. Meanwhile, Elrond's fingers ran through Legolas' hair, the rhythm soothing them both. For the first time in days, they felt like a partnership again and both had to admit that it felt good.

"Can you ever forgive me?" Legolas said eventually in a rough voice.

Elrond smiled gently, glancing down. "There is nothing to forgive," he assured softly. "We're all tired." Legolas nodded against his legs and sighed heavily. "Try and rest, melleth nin." The night was over by now and the pale grey light of dawn was beginning to light the cold room.

A minute or so later, Legolas asked in a small voice, "Do you really think he's all right?"

"Yes, I really do," Elrond said with confidence he didn't know he possessed. "I have to believe that he's all right, Legolas, I have to." Legolas nodded again, wishing he could think in the same way as his partner. He longed to feel that optimism.

"I love you, Elrond," Legolas whispered, starting to drift off to sleep.

"I love you too," the Elven lord smiled, his fingers still running through Legolas' long hair.

The prince's eyes had only just fluttered closed in exhaustion when the lounge door slamming open startled them both. Elrond was about to yell at whoever it was to go away then try to soothe Legolas back to sleep when he heard Glorfindel's frantic voice calling out.

"Elrond! Elrond!" the seneschal yelled, running through the lounge.

"In here," Elrond called as Legolas painfully sat up. The blonde Elda appeared suddenly in the doorway, out of breath from running. "What are you…?"

"We found him," Glorfindel interrupted sharply.

It was as if time stopped in the nursery. Neither parent could even draw breath in the wake of his words. They both just sat in silence on the floor, staring blandly at Glorfindel. The seneschal just stood there in the doorway, watching the couple, not quite sure what to do or say next. Of all things he had expected at this moment, dumb inactivity was not one of them. He looked from his lord then back to the prince in confusion.

"Elrond, Legolas, did you hear me? We found Aldarion," Glorfindel pressed again.

Upon hearing the baby's name, something seemed to snap inside Legolas and he suddenly leapt to his feet, startling Glorfindel.

"What? Where is he?" he demanded harshly. Had Glorfindel not moved so quickly, the prince would have barrelled right into him in his urgency. "Glorfindel, where?"

"Calm down. He's in the healing halls with Elladan and Elrohir and about twenty armed guards. I'll take you to him."

Legolas stopped in his tracks and nodded although Glorfindel could see that he was itching to get going. Glorfindel then turned back to his lord to find him still sat on the floor, staring at his seneschal in shock. The Elda walked over to him and placed his hand on his shoulder kindly.

"Come on, Elrond. Let me take you to your son," he said softly with a smile before holding out his hand. Although it took a moment, Elrond took the proffered hand and let Glorfindel pull him to his feet. "Come on, mellon nin."

As they went out into the corridor, Elrond seemed to wake from his daze and asked, "Where is he?"

Ignoring the fact that he had already answered the question once, Glorfindel replied, "He's with your sons in the healing halls."

Elrond stopped suddenly, very nearly making Legolas run right into him. "What? What's wrong with him? Is he hurt?"

"Is he all right?" Legolas echoed his partner's fears.

Holding up his hands, Glorfindel placated, "The healers have taken a look at him and they say he's fine." Glorfindel didn't have the chance to continue further as the two new partners had rushed off.

As they neared the healing halls, the corridors, lined with guards, the sound of a wailing baby reached their ears and both ran the final few metres before Legolas burst through the healing hall door, his eyes frantically searching for the baby. He knew that Elrond was right behind him and doing the exact same thing. All he could think about was seeing his son, holding the baby to him again, knowing absolutely for certain that he was safe.

Arwen approached them both with a huge smile. "Legolas, Ada, it's…"

"Where is he?" Legolas demanded sharply, in no mood for chit-chat.

Not even mildly offended by his tone, Arwen stood aside so Legolas and her father could reach Aldarion, who was cradled in Elladan's arms. Both parents raced forwards and Legolas gently but quickly took his son from the twin to hold him in his own arms. Elrond was at his side, looking down at the tiny baby in wonder and amazement. The Elven lord reached up and ran his fingers over Aldarion's cheek as if to assure himself that the infant was real and not a figment of his imagination.

After a moment, Elrond looked up at his older son and asked in a rough voice, "Where was he?"

"In a house on the outskirts of town. The Gondorian Men had him," Elladan answered simply. There would be time for a full report later. His father didn't need that right then.

Elrond nodded but continued, "Where are they now? Did you catch them?"

"The guards are bringing them back right now."

"Two of them. The third is dead," Elrohir said from his place on one of the beds.

Elrond looked over to his other son, whom he hadn't even noticed before, and was surprised to see a healer also fussing over him and that his second son was looking rather worse for wear. "Elrohir, what happened to you?"

"There was a fire," Elrohir answered simply, thinking along the same lines as his brother regarding a full report.

"Are you hurt?" Elrond asked, concern in his voice again. He couldn't stand the thought of having another child in trouble.

"No, Ada, I'm fine," the young Elf assured with a smile, although the next second he found himself trying to stifle another round of coughing.

Immediately, Elrond was at his side, trying to look his son over. "You're not fine. Where are you hurt?"

Controlling his coughing, Elrohir shook his head and shrugged his father's hands off him. "Really, Ada, I'm all right. Tell him," Elrohir pleaded of the healer still stood beside him.

"He suffered a bit of smoke inhalation but nothing too serious. He'll be fine," the healer smiled reassuringly at his lord.

"Honestly, I'm fine, Ada," Elrohir stressed. "Go back to Aldarion." He knew that his father was torn between being with his two sons and hated to see him suffer further.

"You stay here and rest until the healers give you permission to leave," Elrond told his son sternly and Elrohir nodded gently, managing to resist rolling his eyes as he normally would at his father's protectiveness. "Elladan, take care of your brother."

"I will, Ada, don't worry," Elladan smiled.

Whilst Elrond saw to his older son, Legolas stood cradling their young baby in his arms. His eyes were fixed on the child; as if he were afraid Aldarion would disappear should he look away for even a second. Glorfindel was hovering close by should he be needed, although Legolas seemed oblivious to everything else around him. When Aldarion ceased his crying long enough to look up at his father, Legolas smiled shakily down but then he couldn't stop the tears falling from his eyes. Sobs rose up in his throat and he was shaking slightly from his cries.

Elrond wrapped his arms around the prince but turned to the other healer – the same one who had treated Anara – and asked, "Is he injured?"

"He is well," the healer said softly, having been waiting for the question. "A little malnourished, thirsty, cold and dirty but he shows no physical injuries. You can take him home if you like, give him a bath."

"Thank you," Elrond smiled. By this time, Aldarion had started screaming again and Legolas was rocking him gently in his arms. "Come on, melleth nin, let's take Aldarion home now," the Elven lord urged kindly, taking Legolas' arm in a loose grip and pulling him away. "Come on." As they left, Elrond cast a brief glance back to the others and surprisingly, Legolas followed his gaze for the first time.

He looked to Elladan and the still coughing Elrohir. "Did you find him?"

"Yes," Elladan smiled gently.

Legolas just nodded then gently handed Aldarion over to Elrond. He then rushed over to Elladan and the younger Elf found himself wrapped in a bone-crushing hug. Pushing aside his amusement, Elladan patted Legolas' back and returned the hug. "Thank you. Thank you."

The prince of Mirkwood released Elladan then bent to hug Elrohir. The younger Elf weakly hugged Legolas back, trying to choke back his coughs. He laughed softly as Legolas squeezed him tightly. "Legolas, mellon nin, I need to breathe," he chuckled.

"Sorry," Legolas said, releasing Elrohir and stepping away. "Thank you so much for bringing him back to us."

It was Elladan who answered, saving his brother's hoarse throat. "You are most welcome. Now take that little one to get cleaned up and then get yourselves to bed. You look terrible. Both of you," he said pointedly, looking over to his father as well.

"I agree with Elladan," Glorfindel said, also stepping forward. "There are guards all over Rivendell to deal with the human prisoners when they arrive and also to protect you and young Aldarion. Go to bed, get some rest, my lords," he said, adding the last title to soften the blow of the order.

Elrond glared at him only briefly before his face softened and he sighed. He was too tired to argue with his seneschal or to complain about being ordered around. By now, after several months of practically running Imladris on his own, surely the Elda had earned the right to give out orders – not to mention a considerable thank you when it was all over.

"Very well, Glorfindel, Lord of Imladris, I shall obey," Elrond joked weakly. He then turned serious again though and said sternly, "But we will be discussing this further."

Glorfindel bowed to his lord. "As you wish, my lord." He knew fully well that Elrond meant not only to discuss what would happen to the two captured Gondorian prisoners but also about how they had managed to penetrate the lord of Rivendell's private rooms and snatch Aldarion in the first place. All knew this was a serious concern because it meant there was a flaw in Rivendell's security. As the person in charge of the deployment and organisation of Rivendell's guards, Glorfindel had to take responsibility for that and although he already knew that Elrond would not punish him, he would have to explain to him how it had happened and then conduct a complete investigation and review in order to make the necessary improvements. Yes, for all Elrond's sensible and calm reasoning, Glorfindel remained nervous about that confrontation. He prided himself on ensuring the realm's safety and just lately he felt like he had failed in that responsibility fairly drastically.

"Thank you, all of you," Elrond smiled at the room as he guided Legolas out of the door. He really wanted to get Legolas and Aldarion back to their rooms as soon as possible. He needed for them to all be together once more.

Legolas followed his partner without protest, staying right by Elrond's side so he could still see his son. Elrond felt the same way – like he never wanted to let his young son out of his sight ever again.

When they reached their rooms, Legolas opened the door with trembling hands to let Elrond past with the baby. As soon as he had shut the door behind him, Legolas rushed over to his partner, who was now rocking the child gently.

"Is he all right?" Legolas asked nervously, peering over Elrond's shoulder to look properly at his yelling baby.

Elrond glanced back at Legolas, whose eyes had once more filled with tears at seeing his child's distress. Truthfully, he felt rather the same way. "Let's sit down and I can look at him properly," he suggested. The healer, with whom he trusted his very life, had assured him that Aldarion was uninjured but it couldn't hurt to just double check. He was a healer, after all, it was in his nature.

Elrond walked to the couch and sat down carefully. The prince followed close behind and perched on the edge of the sofa so he could watch Elrond's every move.

"Shh, penneth, let Ada see," Elrond cooed to the baby as he peeled back the warm blanket he was wrapped in.

One look at their precious baby brought tears back to the eyes of both parents. First off, Aldarion was absolutely filthy from days of being in a dirty environment and without any changing facilities. Beneath all the muck, his skin was pale and seemed almost grey. Elrond knew immediately that this was from days without food and from the cold. His fragile skin was chilled to touch despite the blanket around him and the fact that he had been in the house for a couple of hours already. The already tiny baby seemed even smaller than when they had last seen him, although Elrond wasn't really sure if this was a medical fact or just his personal view of the infant; either way, the baby would need regular feeds to make him fully well again.

Despite all these little things though, Elrond had to agree with his head healer that Aldarion wasn't severely hurt. All his bones were intact and, disregarding the odd bruise, his skin remained unmarked. And there was certainly nothing wrong with his throat or lungs as he was putting them to excellent use as he was examined by his father. Elrond ran his hand gently down the tiny body and Aldarion kicked his legs at the invading hand, making his father chuckle softly.

"Well? Is he all right?" Legolas prompted after a while of silence. Even though he could see Aldarion properly for himself, he wanted Elrond to confirm it. He needed Rivendell's best healer to give him a clean bill of health. Nothing else would suffice.

Elrond looked up with a smile and nodded. "He seems to be." Elrond caught the flailing hands with his fingers and Aldarion clasped his tiny hands around them. "You're all right, aren't you, Aldarion?" he cooed to the baby. Turning back to Legolas, he assured, "He's fine, my love."

"Then why is he crying?" Legolas asked, his voice trembling with emotion at seeing his son in distress. "Look at him. It's like he's in pain."

"He is not in pain. He's a bit dirty and cold but he's not injured."

"How can you be sure?"

Elrond smiled, glad for his years of healing experience dealing with upset and anxious relatives. "Over three thousand years of healing training and experience, not to mention the word of my chief practicing healer. He is probably yelling because he is hungry." Legolas didn't look convinced, tears slipping down his pale cheeks. "Trust me, Legolas. I would be far more concerned if he was silent right now."

The blonde Elf nodded weakly, wiping his tears away with trembling fingers. "Then…he…he'll be all right?" he asked haltingly.

"He'll be fine," Elrond reassured his partner. "He just needs a bath and a warm bed. I expect he's tired. But he is just fine."

Legolas raised a shaking hand to his eyes again and sighed deeply in relief. "Oh thank the Valar," the young Elf breathed. His shoulders relaxed and he seemed to shrink before Elrond's eyes. The past few days had taken so much out of them both that it was hardly surprising. Although Elrond expected Legolas to then sit upright and smile again, with his hands covering his face, the prince suddenly broke down in pitiful cries of despair and relief.

"Legolas, are you all right?" the Elven lord asked in concern, releasing one of Aldarion's hands to rub gentle circles on his partner's back. Legolas nodded but continued to cry into his hands as if he just couldn't stop himself any longer. All of this had been too much for the young Elf and he felt as if he was just being swamped with emotions he could no longer contain. Elrond's arm slipped over his shoulders and he was carefully pulled against his partner. "He's safe now. We've got him back," Elrond said softly as Legolas rested his head against his shoulder.

"I know," Legolas said in a shuddering voice.

"He'll be all right in a while."

The prince sat up straight, his cries having died down not that the onslaught of emotions had eased. He wiped his face again and tried to gain control over his ragged breathing. "I…I just need…a minute," he choked out as Elrond's hand started rubbing his back again.

"Take as long as you need," Elrond reassured kindly. Legolas raked his hands through his hair and took another deep, shuddering breath. "Do you want a glass of water?"

Legolas shook his head and sat up properly again. "No, I'm all right," he said in a rather shaky voice.

"Sure?" Legolas nodded and seemed to pull himself together at last. "I think we should get Aldarion cleaned up and put to bed and the get some sleep ourselves."

"I'll go get his bath ready," Legolas agreed, standing up immediately and going straight to the bathroom to get Aldarion's bath tub ready. He filled it with water, checking then double checking that it was the perfect temperature. He then placed the tub on the floor in front of the bedroom fire and called to Elrond that it was ready. As his partner brought the screaming Aldarion into their bedroom, Legolas fetched soft, fluffy towels and some warm clothes from the nursery.

Joining Elrond on the floor, Legolas took the blanket their son had been wrapped in and threw it to one side now that it was no longer needed. Elrond gently placed Aldarion in the shallow, warm water. The swirling warmth seemed to immediately calm the tiny Elfling as his crying eased a little.

"There you go," Elrond whispered, scooping water with his hand over his son's tiny chest. Meanwhile, Legolas retrieved a soft sponge to wipe away the dirt covering Aldarion. Between them it didn't take long to get their son clean, although the little baby seemed to take great delight in kicking his legs hard enough to splash his parents with water. "All clean," Elrond smiled once his son had been cleansed of all the dirt that had built up on him.

"He looks better already," Legolas smiled tiredly.

"Of course he does," the dark-haired Elf laughed. "Can you grab a towel?" As Elrond lifted the squirming baby out of the now murky water, Legolas laid a towel over his arms ready to take their child. Elrond gently laid Aldarion on the towel, receiving a spray of water in his face for his troubles, and Legolas wrapped him up gently.

For the first time, Aldarion had stopped screaming and laid wriggling and gurgling happily as Legolas patted him dry. Once the little baby was dry, Elrond helped Legolas up and they took him into the warm nursery, placing him down on the changing table. It didn't take long for them to get Aldarion into his new clothes to keep him warm. Already their baby looked better and more like himself. He had started crying again but nowhere near as urgently as before.

"There we go. All better," Elrond told Aldarion sweetly. "I'll make him some warm milk. Do you think you can manage to feed him?"

"I think so," Legolas smiled, lifting Aldarion up and going to sit in the rocking chair.

The bottle was soon prepared and Elrond handed it to the waiting prince. Legolas held the bottle to Aldarion's gaping mouth and the baby instantly clamped onto the bottle, sucking greedily at the first proper food he had been provided with in days.

"He's hungry," Legolas commented, looking up to find Elrond was no longer in the nursery although the Elven lord could be heard pottering about in the bedroom next door. Shrugging, Legolas returned his attentions to his son. It felt so good to be back in this room with his child. When he had first woken up on the floor after the attack, he had been convinced that he would never set eyes on Aldarion ever again, that he had lost for good a second child. Even when he had been assured that everyone was doing everything possible to bring his baby safely home, he had not allowed himself to believe it. To have his hopes of a happy family dashed once more would simply have been too much. That he was confined to these seemingly small rooms whilst everyone else was out searching for his son had only made it worse. He had never been one for inactivity, especially not when someone he loved was in danger.

What had only frustrated him further was that Elrond somehow managed to remain calm and in control throughout the whole process. Whilst he gradually fell to pieces, Elrond had taken it all in his stride. Of course, Legolas knew that Elrond had been panicking as much as him. There was no way he couldn't have been. But Legolas hated that he had been unable to control himself like his partner. He also despised the way he had treated Elrond during the whole thing. Just when they needed to stick together, to remain united, Legolas had pushed his love away, created a distance between them that he knew would help neither of them.

Of course, Legolas knew that Elrond would forgive him – he probably already had. The question was whether Legolas could ever forgive _himself_. He had let those Men take his son. He had done nothing to aid in his return. And then he had been ridiculously unfair to Elrond despite the fact that the Elven lord had been doing all in his power to work everything out. Not once had the ever-calm Elven ruler blamed Legolas for what had happened, although he probably deserved the blame and all the anger Elrond could heap on him.

Still, it was all over now. Aldarion was home and safe, the kidnappers had been apprehended and the Peredhel family was whole once again. Just as it should be.

A small smile graced Legolas' face at the sight of Aldarion. Already a little colour was returning to the baby's cheeks and in Legolas' arms he felt warmer. The bottle was almost empty but Aldarion continued sucking almost gleefully at the teat as his little hands fisted the material of his father's sleeve, grasping the fabric tightly. Legolas laughed when he pulled the empty bottle away and Aldarion gave a gurgle of annoyance.

"Sorry, little one but it's all gone I'm afraid," he said, placing the bottle on the table and lifting Aldarion to his chest. "There you go," he whispered, patting the small back gently as well as starting to rock in the chair. Once he had winded the tiny baby, he shifted him so instead he was securely cradled in his arms. He continued his rocking and it wasn't long before, warm and comfortable and fed at last, the baby fell asleep in his arms. Under Legolas' loving gaze, Aldarion seemed contented at last. Rather amazingly to Legolas, who had very nearly been brought to the brink of insanity by the events of the past few days, Aldarion appeared no worse off for his adventure, certainly not now he was safe and looked-after again.

"Legolas?" Elrond's voice startled the young Elf from his thoughts and he looked up to see Elrond now at his side, also staring down at the baby in amazement and love. "He downed the whole bottle," the Elven lord commented, picking up the empty bottle and shaking as if to unnecessarily prove his point.

Legolas nodded, "He was hungry."

"I'm not surprised." Almost as a reflex, Elrond's hand reached out to stroke Legolas' hair back from his face and for the first time in a long while, Legolas smiled up at him. "He is asleep now, melleth nin. You can put him back in his crib."

"I want to hold him," Legolas protested firmly, his hold on Aldarion tightening slightly.

Crouching down by the chair, Elrond laid his hand on Legolas' arm and said softly, "Legolas, you're exhausted. You have to get some rest. He'll be fine now. Come on, put him to bed then come and get some sleep. Please."

Rather reluctantly, Legolas nodded in agreement. He didn't want to take his eyes off Aldarion for even a second but Elrond was correct, he was thoroughly worn out and he supposed that he would have to sleep eventually so this was as good a time as any. Aldarion was possibly the most guarded person in all of Middle Earth for the time being. He was safe.

As Elrond stood back up and went to prepare the crib, Legolas carefully gained his feet, making sure he didn't disturb the sleeping baby at the same time. However, Aldarion was sound asleep and seemed oblivious to being moved at all. Legolas smiled at the peaceful look on his face and walked slowly over to the cot, which Elrond had readied for the baby.

Legolas raised Aldarion up to kiss his small forehead gently and waited for his partner to do the same before carefully laying him in the crib. Together, the two parents wrapped their son in a soft, warm blanket, making certain he was comfortable enough. Contented little Aldarion didn't even stir though, not noticing that he had been transferred from a pair of arms to his bed.

For a while, Elrond and Legolas couldn't help but stand and stare at their precious child. To even think that they had so nearly lost him forever made their hearts ache with grief. What they would have done if they had never had their son returned, Legolas didn't know. One thing he was certain about was that he would have sailed West had Aldarion been lost. Anara's death was almost too much to bear; the only reason he had not left already was because he had to believe that their son would be well. He was unsure if Elrond shared his sentiments. Naturally, they had never once discussed it. And they probably never would. At least not until it was truly their time.

Pushing the dark thoughts from his mind, Legolas looked over to his partner to find him smiling softly at the sleeping Aldarion. Slowly, Legolas' hand met Elrond's and slipped tightly to grip it. In surprise, the Elven lord glanced over at him. That was the first time since Aldarion was taken that Legolas had initiated contact. Before he had always been passive. Pleased for this small sign of normalcy, Elrond smiled and gripped his hand tightly back, at the same time pulling the blonde Elf against him. Legolas immediately returned the embrace, leaning against Elrond gratefully.

"Shall we go to bed now, melleth nin?" Elrond asked in a whisper so as not to disturb their son.

Legolas smiled against him and quipped, "Do you really think this is the best time to be propositioning me?"

Glancing down in surprise, Elrond replied, "What better time?" Legolas chuckled, moving closer to his love. "However, for the moment at least, we should try sleeping. The other thing can wait for a while, I think."

"Sleep sounds good," Legolas had to admit.

"Then sleep we shall." Elrond released Legolas and, displaying some of his partner's paranoia, walked over to the windows, checking that they were secure.

Really, he needn't have worried. Imladris remained on high alert, even after Aldarion's return, and the palace was practically crawling with guards. No one could get anywhere near the nursery without permission. However, he checked just to be absolutely certain. The windows were all locked tight though but he pulled the drapes closed.

Legolas blinked dazedly at the sudden change in light in the room. He looked over to Elrond in surprise. He hadn't even noticed that it was day again. Everything had gotten so confused in his mind lately and he had been so involved with Aldarion that he hadn't realised he was bathed in sunlight.

"What time is it?" the prince asked Elrond.

"Nearly two in the afternoon."

"Oh, I hadn't even noticed," Legolas confessed, rubbing his aching eyes.

"Well, we had more important things to think about just lately." Truthfully, Elrond had also thought it was still night time. It felt as if everything that had happened had occurred in just a few hours since he had been sat on the nursery floor with an overwhelmed Legolas, where it had actually been quite a while. Shrugging, he decided, "It doesn't matter anyway. Come on, let's go to bed."

Elrond walked back to Legolas then guided him to the door. Both turned back to look at the sleeping baby though, reluctant to leave him alone. They knew they could not watch him forever though. A moment later, Elrond nudged his partner and Legolas nodded and turned to leave. He went straight to the bed, sitting down heavily. Valar, he was tired. In the past few days he had barely noticed it but now it struck him full force and he felt his eyes fall shut.

"Lie down, melleth nin," Elrond's voice cut through the quiet.

Legolas opened his eyes to find that Elrond was pulling the drapes in the room closed, dimming the light so they could rest easier. As Elrond joined him on the bed, Legolas bent to take his shoes off, his motions slow and painful. On the opposite side of the bed, Elrond was doing the same thing but ended up getting tired of the laces so instead just levered them off his feet so they clattered to the floor,

To Elrond's amazement, Legolas showed more patience and did it properly, although it did look to be quite a struggle. Neither bothered to change their clothes; they were too tired for that.

Elrond lifted up the sheets and they both climbed under them, lying back against the pillows with a sigh.

Almost as soon as their heads touched the fabric, they were asleep, finally thwarted by their exhaustion.

**To Be Continued…**


	26. Forgiveness

Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****Yes this is an m-preg, as in male pregnancy. I know anatomically it is impossible in the real world but I like the idea (mainly for the Legolas suffering that goes with it). Please, if you are dead set against this kind of thing then don't read then complain that you weren't warned.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 26 ~ Forgiveness**

**OIOI**

The hours passed agonisingly slowly for Lord Allun.

Nearly a full day ago now he had woken up on a bed in what he recognised to be one of Imladris' healing rooms. He had been rather surprised to find that his wounds had been treated and that he felt pain-free for the first time since his encounter with his two misguided diplomats. His wound had been sewn and bandaged, as had the burns he had sustained in the fire. As he'd expected, he did not wake up alone. Two very tall, very stern looking Elven guards stood at the door to full attention, their fingers constantly brushing the hilts of their swords in anticipation. Allun got the distinct feeling that they would not hesitate for even a second in killing him should he attempt anything rash.

Besides his two stoic guards, Allun had no other visitors since he'd woken. He had been visited by a healer only once. The young Elf had been as gracious as he would have been toward any other patient – a bedside manner perfected by years of practicing his art – but no real warmth had reached his eyes. He has asked only clipped, unemotional questions, made sure his patient was comfortable enough and then retreated from the room.

The guards rotated every six hours but to Allun they all appeared to be much the same. Only once had he torn any kind of reaction from them. He had asked if the baby was back with Elrond. Anger had flared in the guard's eyes and his hand had drawn his sword from its sheath so quickly that Allun barely even saw the motion. It was only when the Elf was actually bearing down on him that he had realised what trouble he had gotten himself in to with the simple question. Thankfully, the second guard on duty had intervened – all be it reluctantly – pulling his colleague away with words too soft for Allun to hear. The Man had stuttered a hesitant apology that was completely ignored and had not spoken again, not even when the guard changed; he wasn't going to risk provoking another, perhaps less restrained, attack.

So he had laid still on his bed, his multiple questions swirling around unanswered in his mind.

Had Aldarion made it out? Was he safe with Elrond once more? Where was Corvell? What had happened to Calvain? How had he gotten out of the big Man's clutches? How had he escaped the burning building? How did he come to be in Rivendell's house again? What would happen next? Would he spend the rest of his life in Rivendell's cells? Would he ever see his wife and children again?

As night time on his first day conscious fell, Allun wished that someone would come to explain to him what would happen to him next. He wished someone would come to shout at him, condemn him – anything other than this terrible silence. Perhaps they would leave him in his room forever. After all, the Elves' concept of time was so radically different to that of a human's, he could be nothing but dust and bones by the time they made their minds up.

It was amazing, he mused, how the brain conjured up all kinds of bizarre scenarios in uncertain times and in loneliness. His dire thoughts of simply fading away before he was noticed were interrupted that evening when an Elf he didn't recognise brought him a plate of food and mug of tea. He had smiled gratefully at the maid but she had jumped back in fright at the gesture and then fled the room. The two sentinels had glared at him so he decided it best to eat his meal quickly before they changed their minds and let him starve.

After his meal, surprisingly good considering he was otherwise being treated as a prisoner, Allun had slept. He knew that he should probably have remained alert in case his jailors attempted something but he reasoned that the two guards had had plentiful time to kill him already if that was their intent and why go to all the trouble of healing his wounds only to murder him in his bed as he slept? Satisfied that he was in no immediate danger of daggers in the night, Allun slept reasonably well that night.

In the morning he had woken feeling refreshed with his two guards still standing in silence at the door. This day, however, would prove to be nowhere near as relaxed as the previous one. By noon no healer had come by to provide him with anything for the pain and the discomfort had been growing steadily all morning. He had enquired about seeing a healer or at least getting something to ease his suffering but the guards had merely shared an odd look and remained silent. No maid brought him either food or drink and he wondered if maybe the Elves had decided to just leave him to rot in this, admittedly quite pleasant, jail. Maybe they were leaving him to weaken even further before transferring him to the cell where he would remain for the rest of his comparatively shore life. If that were the case, then so be it. Perhaps he deserved it for allowing Calvain and Corvell to fool him into trusting them.

As the afternoon wore on, Allun felt the need to get up and restlessly but both his hurting wounds and the stern guards at the door stopped him. Instead he busied himself by counting the gentle swirling patterns on the closed drapes, tracing them with his eyes. When that was done he started over again until the pattern was imprinted on his mind and it had an almost hypnotic effect on him. At least it took his mind off his discomfort a little. Surprisingly, his two guards also seemed to be getting restless as if they were expecting something to happen but it was taking longer than they would have liked. Allun didn't know if this was a good thing or not. He supposed it would happen one way or another so there really was no point in worrying about it. He wondered if Corvell and Calvain were being treated in the same way – if they were even in Rivendell anymore. Despite his previous affiliations with them though, he found that he couldn't really bring himself to care. After what he had seen them do and threaten to do – Calvain, at least – they deserved everything they got.

Finally, just when he thought he really was being left to slowly go insane with boredom and anticipation, the healing room door swung open. Immediately, the two guards stood even more stiffly to attention. With elegance and poise that Allun could only marvel at, Lord Elrond swept into the room, flanked by his seneschal Glorfindel. The Elven lord stared at Allun for a long moment before glancing over his shoulder as if to check the state of the two guards. He then looked over at Glorfindel and nodded firmly.

"Wait outside the door," the blonde Elf commanded. The two guards formally saluted then marched out the door to take up their positions again, alert and ready to take immediate action if they were needed. Glorfindel walked over to the door and pushed it closed before turning back to face Allun again.

Although the disappearance of his guards should have relaxed the man it actually made him impossibly nervous and he suddenly longer for their return. Even though Glorfindel was only one Elf, Allun thought him to be even more threatening than the pair who had previously occupied the position by the door. Glorfindel's hand never strayed near his sword nor to the daggers on belt although by the cold look in his sapphire eyes, Allun knew that he was even more lethal than any of the other guards he had come across in Imladris. Tall and deceptively powerful, Glorfindel's presence seemed to fill the room, making the elderly Allun feel like a small boy about to get chastised for invading his father's office again. It was a most unnerving feeling and Allun had to work hard to resist the urge to squirm under the seneschal's unflinching and unrelenting stare. The seneschal seemed to know exactly what effect his presence had on the Man and took immense pleasure in it – Allun could have sworn he saw a glint of amusement and glee in the bright blue eyes.

Mercifully, Glorfindel looked away after a moment – the longest moment of Allun's life – apparently tired of his little game. He instead moved his gaze to his lord and the human followed his line of sight. If the seneschal had made Allun nervous then Elrond staring him down absolutely terrified him. The Elven lord didn't need to make himself look threatening; it appeared to come naturally to him. As far as Allun could see, he didn't even carry a weapon. Unlike Glorfindel, Elrond took no satisfaction in Allun's squirming. In fact, the dark-haired Elf displayed no emotion whatsoever as his eyes swept over the man, they betrayed only cold calculation.

For what seemed like an eternity, no one spoke and Allun found himself wishing something would happen simply to break the silence. Whereas before, the room had a restless air about it, now it was fraught with tension that Allun thought he could feel the weight of pressing down and suffocating him.

Eventually, Elrond took a deep breath and spoke. "We have your companion in custody," he said in a matter-of-fact way and with no real anger detectable in his voice.

Swallowing dryly, Allun asked, "Companion?"

"Mister Corvell," Glorfindel said from the door.

"Then he is alive," the man said softly and with some relief.

"Yes. He is alive. We are not so barbaric as to kill a prisoner – even if he is the worst kind of scum to ever…" Glorfindel started angrily but stopped when Elrond held up his hand and muttered something in soft Elvish, which Allun couldn't understand.

"My Lord Elrond, what about the other man – Calvain?"

Elrond glanced back at his glowering seneschal but swiftly returned his attention to the prisoner. "You do not remember?" Allun shook his head. "The other man is dead."

"Dead?"

"Yes, dead," Glorfindel repeated with some satisfaction, which earned him a stern look from his lord.

"How?"

"Not at our hands if that is your concern. Elrohir found you and he fighting and was forced to defend himself and you. Calvain burned to death." There was not a hint of pleasure in the lord's voice and he seemed to be genuinely saddened at having to deliver the news.

Allun nodded numbly as his memory returned to him. "There was a fire," he mumbled, recalling the heat of the flames lapping at him. "He attacked me, tried to kill me." He looked up at Elrond to find that his face was passive once more. "Lord Elrohir, he saved me."

"Yes, he entered the building to check it was clear and found you crawling on your hands and knees, groping for an exit with a sword-wielding Calvain behind you. He killed your friend and dragged you out of the building," Elrond explained in an even voice.

"Calvain was not my friend," Allun said bitterly.

"Is that so?"

"Who do you think gave me this?" the man asked sarcastically, pulling apart his nightshirt slightly to reveal the bandage on his chest. "I regret the death of any of my kin but that man was unstable, Lord Elrond. Had I know…" He trailed off, shaking his head.

"What?" Glorfindel asked sharply. "You wouldn't have recruited him into your scheme?"

This time, Elrond did not intervene, apparently believing this to be a legitimate question. Compelled to defend himself, Allun said, "I was part of no scheme."

"No? Then you did not plot to murder the Prince of Mirkwood and kidnap a child of Rivendell?" Glorfindel accused in a raised voice. Allun flinched but Elrond remained unmoved and the man wished he would step in again.

"Of course I didn't! I would never…I knew nothing of any plot. I only found out about it after Calvain had already committed the crime."

"Really?" Glorfindel drawled. "So you were completely oblivious to what your two close colleagues were planning despite the fact the ransom you demanded benefitted you about all else?"

"No, I wouldn't…"

"You kidnapped an innocent, defenceless child!"

"I didn't. I wasn't even there."

"Ah, so you let your people do your dirty work for you?"

"I knew nothing about it," Allun maintained firmly, his own impatience rising as the seneschal tried to twist his words. "You have to believe me. I knew nothing about any plot before it happened."

"You sent a ransom…"

"Are you completely stupid?" Allun finally snapped, throwing caution to the wind to defend himself properly. "I have been an official diplomat in Gondor for nearly twenty-five years and I am extremely good at my job. I did not work on this agreement with you for months to throw it all away in one stupid moment on lunacy. And even if I did hold someone ransom over a road, I would not ask for something so utterly unreasonable that I knew fully well could never be done even by the flawless Elves," Allun recklessly yelled at the two Elves. "Nor would I then stab myself in the chest, send my cohort out with the baby as my hideaway burned to the ground with me still inside, fighting my other companion, crawl out and then let one of the Elven Lord's family rescue me. Men are not quite as dumb as you believe," he finished.

Glorfindel had the grace to look a little ashamed but Elrond remained expressionless, merely regarding him thoughtfully.

"Lord Elrond, you have to believe me. I have a wife and children of my own. I would never rob another parent of their family," Allun continued in a softer, more imploring voice. "What my colleagues did was terrible beyond words."

"Yes, it was," Elrond said simply.

"I regret their actions. I regret bringing them into your home. I regret that they have robbed you of something so precious."

"They have robbed me of nothing," the Elf said coldly. "My son is safe and well."

A smile tugged at the corners of the man's mouth. "He is?" Elrond nodded. "But…the prince…" Allun continued cautiously, not wanting to incur Elrond's anger.

"My partner is alive," the Elven lord said.

"What?" Allun was genuinely surprised. "But…they said…" He clearly remembered Calvain and Corvell boasting about how they had killed the prince.

"Your esteemed colleagues are very poor assassins. Legolas was knocked out – after they beat him half to death – but the poison was too mild to do any permanent damage," Elrond said.

"Then he is truly alive?"

"Yes."

"Thank goodness," Allun sighed, although he placed his hand against his shoulder as pain shot through him once more. "I was so…worried…" the man gasped out.

"A nice try, but no one here is buying your ridiculous story!" Glorfindel yelled.

This time, Elrond did intervene, saying firmly, "Enough, Glorfindel!" To Allun it seemed that under his lord's stern instruction, the seneschal seemed to shrink a bit and become almost smaller in the room, somehow less threatening. Elrond meanwhile, stepped up to Allun and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Calm your breathing," he instructed calmly. Although Allun was unsure about his motives, he obeyed, closing his eyes and trying to take more even breaths. Elrond remained at his side as if wanting to ensure himself that the man listened to him. Why he was bothered, Allun didn't know. With Elrond so close to him though, he forced himself to calm down, not wanting to provoke the Elf further.

Once he had eased his panic and opened his eyes, Allun was surprised to find Elrond frowning down at him, apparently in concern. Delicate but confident hands pulled the man's shirt apart and cold eyes took in the bandage on his chest. Elrond then turned to the other Elf and said something in Elvish that the man didn't understand.

"Has his injury been properly treated?"

"A healer has been sent to him, my Lord. Although no one has seen him so far today."

Elrond nodded then turned back to the man. "Good," he said softly in Elvish. When he addressed Allun, he switched effortlessly back to Westron. "Your story matches Corvell's to the letter," he said with the same plain, emotionless voice.

"Corvell's?" Allun asked quietly in confusion.

Glorfindel stepped forward and explained in a less threatening tone than before, "We interrogated Corvell earlier today. It didn't take him long to crack and tell us everything."

"Then…then you already know…"

"Yes. We know of your involvement – or lack of – and of Calvain's plotting," Elrond confirmed as he placed his fingers against Allun's wrist to check his pulse. It was fast but that was to be expected after being interrogated by two intimidating Elven lords.

"But…Why?"

"We wanted to be certain that your stories matched," Glorfindel told him without regret.

Looking up at Elrond, Allun asked, "So you know I had nothing to do with the kidnapping?"

"Yes. Corvell told us that he and Calvain held you hostage as well, that Calvain stabbed you as you tried to stop him from killing Aldarion. He told us how you tried to escape with my son and that Calvain tried to kill you. He said that you told him to take the baby and run whilst you held Calvain back." Blushing slightly at the closest thing to praise he would get from the Elven lord, Allun nodded gently. That was indeed how things had happened. "It seems you are more the hero than criminal."

"No, my lord, I…"

Elrond held up his hand to stop him. "I cannot, however, let you leave Imladris without consequence."

"Of course. I brought those two to your kingdom. I deserve whatever punishment you wish to dish out. Lock me in your dungeons for however long you deem appropriate."

A small smile crossed Elrond's face at this. "There are no dungeons in Imladris, I'm afraid."

Allun saw Glorfindel smirk slightly behind his lord. "Then…?" The two Elves remained silent as if taunting him with the possibilities. "May I ask one thing of you, my lords?" Elrond nodded. "That you be lenient in your punishment of Corvell. I know that he has committed an unspeakable crime and that he has to face the consequences but I do not believe he was the initiator. More likely he was misled into doing as Calvain said. And he did redeem himself when it was important. He saved your son."

"Elrohir saved my son. Corvell tried to run; he did not surrender immediately. He had to be restrained when he ran into the Elven search party," Elrond said rather more sternly than before.

Allun nodded, this was new information to him but it did sound like the young man. "Corvell is hot-headed. When put under pressure, he gets scared and panics."

"Even so…"

"My lord, Corvell is not malicious. If it weren't for Calvain he would never have gotten involved in something so terrible." Elrond looked back to Glorfindel but got no cue from him. "Please, my lord, show some mercy."

Turning back to face Allun, he said, "Corvell's punishment is no longer your concern. Nor is it mine. I think the man most to blame for this has already been punished – in the worst possible way. Your punishment will not be for me to decide," Elrond continued wearily.

Allun looked on in confusion at the Elf. "I don't understand."

When his lord didn't answer, Glorfindel stepped forward. "As soon as you were found I contacted Gondor. They sent word back quickly about their intentions."

"Gondor?"

"They will be coming to collect you and Corvell within the month. Imladris will leave it to them to put you on trial and decide your fate."

"I see."

"We will be telling them everything that happened in great detail. But other than that, we will not interfere in your justice system."

"But…you don't want to…?"

Sadness flooded into Elrond's eyes and his proud shoulders seemed to sag and he didn't look nearly as commanding as Allun had once perceived him to be. He swept his gaze over the Man distastefully and said softly, "I want nothing more to do with you. Any of you."

Allun looked up, guilt flooding his being. "That's it? That's your punishment?"

"Think yourself lucky, Lord Allun. Had it been Legolas stood before you, you would already be dead." With that, Elrond turned to leave, letting the man think on what had been said. At the door though, Elrond told his seneschal, "Send a healer in here, see that he is given something for the pain." Glorfindel nodded obediently and opened the door for his lord.

"Thank you, Lord Elrond," Allun said quietly.

Elrond glanced back at him and it seemed that he would not reply but then he muttered, "Thank _you_, Lord Allun." The door closed behind the two lords and Allun was alone once more but considerably more at ease now that he no longer feared for his life.

After Glorfindel had ordered the guards back inside, Elrond leaned back against the wall with a heavy sigh. He was relieved that this was at last all over. He and Glorfindel had spent all morning interrogating Corvell and it had taken every bit of his highly practiced restraint to remain calm and not jump over the table and strangle the young man to death. A couple of times, Glorfindel had been forced to place a restraining hand on his lord's arm and had felt him literally quivering with rage as Corvell described in detail how they had decided to kill the 'brat' when Allun had shed light on the lack of planning. Somehow, Elrond had managed to remain in his seat the whole time, although he was so tense Glorfindel thought that he would shatter under the pressure. Once that first interrogation was over and Corvell had confessed every little thing under the gaze of the two powerful Elven lords, Elrond had seemed to calm down a bit and mull over everything he had been told.

Even Glorfindel, who had been prepared for a long, drawn out interrogation, had been surprised at how easily the man had given up the information they demanded. At first he had sat up straight in his chair, staring intently at the far wall, clearly having every intention of remaining silent under questioning. He had managed to remain silent for all of five minutes. The moment Glorfindel slammed his fist down hard on the table in annoyance; the young man had jumped so violently he had very nearly fallen off his chair. Skittish eyes had met Glorfindel's, which did nothing to ease his nerves. Seeing that he had the advantage, Glorfindel had glared at the man, knowing fully well what effect his steely blue stare could have on people. Any pretence had fallen away from the young man and he had started openly quivering with fear. Then, when Glorfindel had demanded he tell them everything from the start to the finish, he had cracked and started spilling everything with no further prompting. By the time the interrogation was over, Glorfindel could tell that all the man wanted to do was curl up and pretend none of this had happened. He had pleaded with them to be merciful, reaching out to grab Elrond's hand pleadingly. The moment he had moved towards the lord of Rivendell though, a mass of guards had swamped him and thrown him to the ground to restrain him. As the man cried at the top of his voice, now on the floor, Elrond had fled the room, leaving Glorfindel to sort the prisoner out. It had taken a while to get the human to calm down after a lot of reassuring that he would not be executed whilst in Elven custody.

Once that had been done and they had gotten the whole story from Corvell, they had decided to confirm it with the older man. By the end of the day, Elrond was truly worn out. Having to sit and listen to the cruel human talking about his child had well and truly frayed his nerves.

"Elrond, are you all right?" Glorfindel asked as Elrond ran his hands down his face.

The dark-haired Elf smiled grimly. "I have to confess, I'll feel much better once those two are back in Gondor where they belong."

"As will all of Imladris, my Lord," Glorfindel agreed. "Will you tell Prince Legolas about all this?"

Elrond looked up sharply. "No. And you will not tell him either. He doesn't need to know the details. He is fragile enough right now as it is," Elrond added softly.

"Maybe you should get back to him then."

"Yes, you're right. Thank you for your help today, Glorfindel. Both Legolas and I appreciate it."

"Of course, my lord. I will sort out the prisoner and get Allun a healer."

Elrond nodded and pushed himself away from the wall. "Good. And Glorfindel, do not ever deprive a patient of mine of medical care again, no matter what their crime, is that understood?" Elrond demanded.

"Yes sir." Glorfindel bowed low. As he stood up straight again, Elrond patted shoulder to show that no hard feelings lingered between them. With his lord returning to his rooms, Glorfindel went about making sure the men were both secured and looked after. Luckily for them, Imladris had a particularly benevolent lord. He couldn't imagine the rulers of Lothlorien or Mirkwood being so lenient in their judgements of kidnappers and murderers. Certainly had Thranduil been in Elrond's position, he would have ripped the humans apart with his bare hands. Glorfindel had no doubt that Elrond felt like doing just that deep down but he would not allow himself to lose control like that even though everyone would have understood if he had done so. Glorfindel knew for a fact that the only thing keeping Legolas from confronting his attackers was that Elrond refused to tell him where they were being held – although this was perhaps wise as Legolas would show none of his partner's restraint and would no doubt do something he would later regret.

**To Be Continued…**


	27. Bad News

Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****If you don't know it by now…well…**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 27 ~ Bad News**

**OIOI**

When Elrond entered the lounge, he found Legolas sat on the couch with Aldarion. The baby seemed to be taking great pleasure in tugging at the prince's long hair and Legolas was currently in the process of disentangling tiny fingers gently from the golden strands. Aldarion just laughed at his father's attempts and used his other hand to add to the confusion.

"I think that it is a hopeless cause, my love," Elrond laughed from the door.

"He is pulling my hair out. Soon he'll have a bald ada if he carries on." Elrond laughed again at the cheerful words. "You just stand there and laugh, Lord of Imladris, but I'll never be able to step out of this room again lest I disgrace you."

Elrond walked over and pressed a kiss onto Legolas' cheek. "Even hairless you would be beautiful to me."

Legolas smiled up at him, glowing under the compliment. However, then his eyes hardened and he asked, "Is it done?"

Perching in the opposite chair, Elrond nodded grimly. "Yes. Corvell confessed to everything. It was as we suspected; Allun was innocent in the whole thing. Calvain was the main perpetrator. I think Corvell was just a misguided follower. He never meant for it to go so far."

"He is still a criminal, Elrond," Legolas snapped.

"I never said he wasn't. He has confessed to his crimes so he will be punished."

"But not by you," the prince reminded him bitterly.

"We have been through this already, Legolas," the older Elf sighed.

"Well, why shouldn't you be the one to doll out the punishment? The crime happened in your kingdom, on your property. They tried to kill your partner and kidnapped your son. Why is it not your responsibility, your _right_ to hand out whatever punishment you see fit?" Legolas argued.

"Because I do not have that right."

"Why not?"

"What do you want me to do, Legolas – go around there and execute them on the spot?" Elrond shouted as his already fraught temper frayed even further.

"I would," the blonde Elf muttered.

"No, Legolas! You wouldn't. Even at your angriest you would not spill blood just for the sake of it and you have absolutely no right to ask me to do so either." Legolas shook his head in disgust. "What is it then you want me to do?"

"I want you to punish them properly."

"I am sending them back to Gondor. The Men can bring them to justice far better than I can."

"Why? What do you think they're going to do to members of their own race?"

"Probably lock them up for a time."

"That's not good enough!" Legolas shouted, startling Aldarion into crying.

"Then what, Legolas? What do you think I can do differently? If they stay in Imladris it's not like we can even lock them up full time. In Gondor they will be brought to trial, convicted and locked up accordingly. It is all I can do, melleth nin, you know that."

"What if they don't? What if Allun can talk the Steward around and they both get away with it?"

"Do you honestly think that Allun has more political weight in Gondor than me?" Elrond exclaimed, leaning further forward in his chair. "Imladris is an important ally to Gondor. The Steward needs our treaties; he would not risk losing our alliance over…"

"Don't you dare do that," Legolas growled, interrupting his partner.

"Do what?"

"Don't turn our son's suffering into a political advantage for Imladris."

"That is not what I'm doing, Legolas. I'm trying to explain my decision to you. I'm trying to make you understand my reasoning," Elrond said softly.

"Well, I don't understand it," the prince snapped, standing up with Aldarion.

Elrond sighed heavily and asked in annoyance, "What more do you want? What would you do in my position?"

"Lock them up for the rest of their lives!"

"I can't do that! You know fully well that I can't."

"If we had been in Mirkwood this wouldn't even be an issue."

"No, Thranduil would have locked them up in his disgusting dungeons and left them to rot, I suppose," Elrond scoffed distastefully.

"At least he would do something!" Legolas shouted back. "He wouldn't be afraid of doing something. And Mirkwood certainly wouldn't be held to ransom by a kingdom of Men."

"Go back there, then!" Elrond yelled in anger. The very second the words left his mouth he regretted them and hated himself for even thinking them. The prince's face morphed from anger to sadness in an instant. His demeanour changed so much that to Elrond he seemed to be a completely different person. "Legolas, I am sorry," he gasped as if stunned by his own cruelty. "I didn't mean…"

"Maybe I should," Legolas said thickly. He then turned quickly, went into the bedroom and slammed the door closed behind him. The sound reverberated around the lounge but Elrond remained frozen to the spot. He had known the news that he was sending the Men back to Gondor would not go down well but he hadn't anticipated this. All day he's sat before the people who had hurt his child without losing his temper and yet in front of Legolas he cracked and released his anger on the person who lease deserved it.

After a moment Elrond walked up to the door and tried to open it, only to find it locked. He tapped on the wood and called softly, "Legolas, please open the door." No response. "Let me in, melleth nin, please. Legolas?" Not a sound came from the bedroom; it seemed that even Aldarion had silenced himself as if in protest at his second father's words. "Legolas?"

Resigning himself to the fact that Legolas wasn't going to speak to him anytime soon, Elrond retreated back to his chair and slumped down. He was really too tired for this tonight. Before he could do anything more, his eyes had glazed over in sleep.

Besides the glow from the fire, the lounge was dark when Elrond woke up. His neck was stiff and sore from being in such an uncomfortable upright position for several hours. He sat up straight, stretching his legs out and his arms above his head. Once he felt more alert, Elrond looked around the dark lounge but clearly no one had come in to disturb the place as he slept. The only thing that was different was that the bedroom door, which had been firmly closed earlier, now stood partially ajar. That was surely not done by accident. He could only assume that it was an invitation.

Getting up from his chair, Elrond navigated his way across the room through the darkness and pushed the bedroom door open. When his eyes swept to the bed only to find it empty, panic raced through him. Had Legolas really done it? Had he slipped past him as he'd slept to return with his child to Mirkwood? Stepping further into the room, Elrond called his partner's name loudly.

Suddenly, the door to the nursery was flung open and Legolas, holding Aldarion, appeared, annoyance plain on his face even in the dim light. "Would you keep your voice down," he hissed angrily, nodding down at the sleeping baby in his arms.

Too relieved to be offended, Elrond strode forward and pulled Legolas carefully into his arms, being mindful not to crush Aldarion between them. Burying his face in the prince's soft golden hair, Elrond breathed, "Thank the Valar you're here."

"Where else would I be?" the young Elf asked in a flat voice as he stood stiffly in Elrond's embrace.

Elrond pulled back enough to look into Legolas' face and smiled shakily, "I thought you…"

"What?" Legolas prompted impatiently.

"I thought you had left me, gone back to…to Mirkwood."

For a moment, Legolas looked genuinely surprised before he smiled faintly in the semi-light. "Even if I wanted to return to Mirkwood, I couldn't. And I don't want to." He cocked his head as a more troubling thought came to his mind. "You didn't really think I would take Aldarion away from you?" he asked quietly.

Elrond shook his head and closed his eyes but confessed, "I didn't know."

"I would never, _never_ do that to you, Elrond. Never."

Sighing softly, Elrond said, "I know."

"No matter what happened, I would never take him away from you."

"I know that."

Legolas nodded then pulled back slightly and said, "I should put him back to bed."

"Right."

"And you should get into a warm bath then get into bed. You must be sore from sleeping in that chair." He smiled sheepishly. "I speak from experience."

As Legolas moved away, Elrond took his arm and gently pulled him back. "You really are the most amazing person, Legolas. You know that, right?"

"Of course," Legolas laughed.

"I'm serious," the Elven lord said firmly. He risked leaning forwards and pressing a warm kiss onto Legolas' lips. He was rewarded as the blonde Elf returned the kiss. "I love you," he breathed against Legolas' lips when he pulled back.

"I love you too. Always," Legolas replied in a whisper. "Go get cleaned up."

Elrond nodded and pulled away so Legolas returned to the nursery to put Aldarion back in his cot. He took his time tucking Aldarion in, then stood watching the tiny Elfling sleeping soundly. Besides the fact that he woke every couple of hours wanting to be fed, Aldarion seemed no worse for wear after his ordeal and had quickly settled down into his new routine, completely untroubled by the concerns that constantly troubled his parents. It was a relief to Legolas that the baby was still too young to recall any of his adventure. If anything, Aldarion seemed more contented now that he was home. He cried less and settled faster. Legolas also seemed more capable of dealing with him now. It no longer seemed so overwhelming anymore. Things came more naturally to him and it didn't frighten him as it had done before.

Once he was certain that Aldarion was peaceful, Legolas slipped silently from the room and climbed wearily into bed, leaning back comfortably against the pillows. From the bathroom, he could just hear the slight movement of water. Closing his eyes, Legolas could just picture Elrond's lean, toned body stretched out, being caressed by the warm water. He pictured the water glistening against slightly tanner but flawless skin, clinging to perfect lines. He imagined confident hands washing over that strong body, sliding over well-formed but subtle muscles. He saw in his mind, Elrond's hands slowly, teasingly, working their way downwards…

Blue eyes snapped open in surprise. How had such explicit thoughts crept into his wandering mind? If he was honest, he hadn't thought about that aspect of their relationship in a long time. Lately he just hadn't felt up to it. He still didn't really. Tiredness dragged him down and pain niggled at him in some area almost constantly. So he was surprised that those thoughts stirred him now. Shaking his head, Legolas rolled onto his side, closed his eyes and tried to sleep. All he could do though was listen intently to the quiet noises from the bathroom. When the door opened and he heard Elrond's feet padding on the floor, Legolas tried to relax himself in the hope that Elrond would believe him to be asleep. It obviously worked, as he heard Elrond creep quietly across the room, followed by the sliding of a drawer being opened and the soft brush of light fabric over skin as Elrond pulled on his nightclothes. As if extending Legolas' discomfort, Elrond didn't immediately go to the bed but instead went to the nursery to check on his son. He returned a moment later and Legolas felt him climb carefully into the bed, obviously being careful not to disturb his partner. Legolas heard a soft sigh and then Elrond's even breathing filled the room, which grew gradually deeper as he fell asleep. Not long after, Legolas too drifted into sleep, his dreams filled with Elrond for the first time in months.

Legolas woke the next morning to find Elrond already up and dressed and walking around the bedroom with Aldarion in his arms. For a moment, Legolas just lounged back in bed and watched Elrond tending to the child. Warm and comfortable in the soft bed, Legolas thought that he could just lay there forever and watch the scene. Unfortunately, Elrond looked over at him and smiled when he realised that Legolas was awake.

"Good morning, melleth nin. Did you sleep well?"

"Very well." He glanced downwards so Elrond couldn't see the slight blush that crept over his face when he remembered the content of his dreams. "Maybe too well," he smiled, looking back up now his mind was clearer.

"There's no such thing," Elrond smiled back kindly.

Sitting up in bed, Legolas asked, "Did he wake you during the night?"

"Only a couple of times but he settled quickly enough."

"You should have woken me," Legolas said, stifling a yawn.

"But you looked so peaceful," the dark-haired Elf smiled down at Legolas and the prince felt the urge to squirm under his gaze. He was pretty certain that he didn't talk in his sleep so Elrond couldn't possibly know that his dreams had been filled with erotic images of the Elven lord. Even so, Legolas worried that he might have muttered or done something during the night that gave away what he was thinking.

"What?" Legolas asked, trying to sound as natural as possible.

"Well, you were sound asleep all night long. You barely even stirred when he started crying."

"Oh, right."

The prince forced a smile onto his face. He wasn't really embarrassed about his reaction to Elrond that night. There was nothing wrong with it, after all. They had been a partnership for hundreds of years and had very few secrets from each other, especially in the bedroom. Years of getting to know each other's likes and dislikes had ensured that their more intimate actions were played out like an all-pleasing dance in the bedroom. For some reason though, to Legolas now it just didn't feel…appropriate to be thinking about such self-serving and indulgent things. Not only had they just been through the most harrowing experience any parent could imagine but Legolas himself had only given birth a month ago. Besides, Elrond had not so much looked at him in that way for several months and Legolas could not really blame him. They were both worn out most of the time; it wasn't like they had a lot of spare time on their hands even during the night. Worse than that though, Legolas no longer thought that Elrond really desired him anymore. His eyes didn't devour him as they once had; he no longer had to fight to keep Elrond's hands from wandering at the most inappropriate times. Legolas could hardly blame him. Up until now, the thought of their love life had not so much as skimmed across his thoughts. He also did not – in his eyes at least – look the same as he had once done. His appearance no longer shone with brilliance, everything about him seemed just a little bit dimmer when he looked at his reflection in the mirror. After everything his poor body and spirit had been put through in the past year, it was hardly surprising that it had lost some of its brilliance. Not that Elrond ever commented on this. Certainly, he still looked upon Legolas with love and affection – just not desire.

"Legolas? Legolas?" Elrond's voice cut through Legolas' thoughts and he realised that Elrond had been calling his name. "Are you all right, melleth nin?" the older Elf asked with a frown.

"Of course," Legolas said rather defensively. "I was just…lost in thought."

"About last night?" Elrond asked warily.

"What? No. Not about that."

"Oh. Then what had you so distracted?" Elrond continued with a small smile as he sat down on the bed near Legolas' legs.

"Nothing," the prince answered a little too quickly to be convincing to anyone.

Elrond's gentle smile turned into a wicked grin at having caught Legolas off guard. "You can tell me, my love." Legolas shook his head but looked back down at the rumpled sheets, a sign of his embarrassment that Elrond picked up on immediately. Shifting the baby carefully so that he had one free hand, Elrond land his palm on Legolas' arm and prompted kindly, "Please tell me."

"It's…nothing. It's just…No, it's ridiculous. Honestly, it's nothing important. Don't worry about it," Legolas stuttered out.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

Elrond had opened his mouth to speak again but there was a knock at the door before he could even get a single word out. With a sigh, the Elven lord stood up and strode out into the lounge to open the door. Legolas fell back against the pillows in relief at not having to explain himself or his inappropriate thoughts to his partner. It would have been too excruciating to come up with the right words. A moment later, the door opened again and a rather harassed looking Elrond appeared.

"I'm sorry, Legolas, but I have to go to the office for a couple of hours. Apparently Erestor is so swamped in paperwork that he can't handle that he is perilously close to a nervous breakdown. Will you be all right looking after Aldarion today?" he asked, even as he placed the baby into Legolas' waiting arms.

"I think we'll manage," Legolas smiled down at his son.

"I will be back as soon as I can but if I can't get away by lunch then I'll send Arwen by to give you a hand," Elrond told him as he gathered his formal over-robe from the closet and shrugged it on. "Promise me that you'll send for me if you need any help." Now fully dressed and ready for work, Elrond bent down and kissed Legolas' forehead tenderly. "I'll be just in my office if you need anything at all and there will be guards outside the door, all right?"

One of their greatest fears was that another attempt would be made on Aldarion's life so guards had been posted outside their doors with orders to halt anyone unknown to the family. For now, all of Imladris remained on high alert. As far as Elrond and Legolas were concerned, they could stay that way until Aldarion had tired of the world and sailed West.

"All right," Legolas smiled. This wasn't the first time he had been alone with the baby since the attack but it still made him uneasy if he was honest.

"I'll see you soon," Elrond said before rushing out the door.

"Oh, Aldarion, what is your ada going to do?" Legolas sighed, leaned back against the pillows again and watched his son gurgling up helplessly at him.

**To Be Continued…**


	28. The Coming Of Wrath

Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****If you don't know it by now…well…**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 28 ~ The Coming Of Wrath**

**OIOI**

When Elrond returned to the room just as evening was drawing in, he found Aldarion being carried around the lounge in Arwen's arms.

"Where is Legolas?" Elrond asked bluntly.

Arwen looked up in surprise at her father's entrance and smiled. "He took a nap earlier but I think he's in the bath now. Don't worry; I've been taking good care of Aldarion."

"I have no doubt," Elrond now smiled kindly, kissing his daughter's cheek. "Can you stay for a moment longer whilst I go check on Legolas?"

"Of course. He's being a real sweetheart today."

Elrond went into the bedroom to find that the bed had now been neatly made so he went straight into the bathroom, knocking only briefly before walking straight in. When Legolas opened his eyes, seeing Elrond standing in the doorway, he sat up straight so suddenly that water sloshed over the sides of the tub.

"Elrond. You're back," the prince exclaimed in surprise.

"I didn't mean to startle you," Elrond laughed softly, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. "I'm sorry I'm so late. Erestor is hard to get away from sometimes."

As his partner perched himself smoothly on the edge of the bath, Legolas asked, "Is everything all right?"

"Fine. I thought we could get changed then go to dinner, all of us together. That's if you're not too tired."

"No."

"Arwen said you napped earlier."

"Only for an hour," Legolas told him defensively.

"Did I say it was a bad thing? I'm pleased you're getting some proper rest. You deserve it," Elrond smiled reassuringly, running his hand over the surface of the warm water. His hand never once connected with Legolas' bare skin, for which the prince was grateful. He'd spent all day trying to get those kinds of thoughts out of his mind; he didn't need to be reminded of it right then, certainly not when he was so exposed beneath the water. "Anyway, get changed and I'll get Aldarion ready and relieve Arwen of her duties," Elrond said nonchalantly, unaware of his partner's struggle.

"Thank her for me."

"I will." Elrond went to the door but looked back when he didn't hear Legolas getting up. "Aren't you going to get out of there?" he asked in amusement.

"Yes. Would you like to stay and watch?" Legolas asked teasingly, eyes glinting up at Elrond.

A small smile flitted across Elrond's lips but then he shook his head and laughed openly. "Not at all," he grinned then left Legolas alone again. Although he had purposefully discouraged Elrond from staying, he had to confess to being a little disappointed that it hadn't taken more convincing. With a sigh, he quickly climbed out of the water, dried himself off and pulled on his clothes.

By the time he entered the bedroom, Elrond was already busy changing Aldarion. Leaving him to it, Legolas sat on the bed and started to pull on his shoes and tidy his hair ready for dinner. He knew that, like all the family meals, it wouldn't be a formal affair but he had to make the effort all the same. Five minutes later, they were walking through the corridors towards the dining hall, Aldarion carefully nestled in Elrond's arms where he remained remarkably settled. The twins were already sat at the table arguing loudly about something and didn't bother to allow their father to interrupt their line of thought. Arwen stood politely when the couple entered but she only really did it to say hello to the tiny baby she had been taking care of all day. Legolas pulled a chair out for himself but waited for Arwen to be seated again before he too sat at the table. He also took the time to pull out a chair for Elrond, as the older Elf had his hands full with their son.

Tonight only the Peredhel family and Legolas were in attendance and the invitation had not been extended to either Glorfindel or Erestor, who were presumably making themselves useful somewhere in Imladris. The sound of Elladan and Elrohir playfully arguing over something completely inane and Arwen discussing her day with Aldarion were seemingly so normal that they simply washed over Legolas soothing and calming him. As the waiters leaned over to place their plates in front of them, the twins abandoned their discussion in favour of tucking into their food, although the odd, errant word came from them just to keep the discussion alive until they could properly take it up again. Arwen ate her own starter quietly, glancing over to her father every so often. The sight of the two parents working in easy unison to feet both themselves and their son was heart-warming and yet she couldn't help but feel that still something was not quite right. Of course, they were still grieving for Anara, that wouldn't change for a long time, and she knew that despite his new façade of confidence, Legolas was still adjusting to his new life as a parent. And yet there was something else underneath all that, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. She wasn't even sure that Elrond or Legolas knew that anything was wrong. Somehow, though, something just felt different about them.

As the main course was served and Legolas was wiping Aldarion's mouth free of a couple of stray trails of milk from his bottle. The playful baby gurgled up at his father and kicked his legs at Legolas' wrist merely to amuse himself. Elrond laughed at him and Legolas rolled his eyes, which only seemed to amuse the baby more.

"It's a lost cause, I think," Elrond chuckled, stroking his finger over the soft dark hair of his son.

Legolas smiled softly and pulled away, sending a playful glare in his son's direction. "Very well, ion nin. You win this time."

"That's the first step to coddling, you know, Legolas," Elladan laughed from the other side of the table.

"And what is wrong with that?" the prince asked his friend.

Elrohir scoffed and said, "Ada never spoiled us as children."

"Oh! Not much! Your mother gave you two everything you could ever wish for and you always got whatever you wanted," Elrond protested through his laughter. "There were no more spoiled children on Arda."

This knowledge gave the twins pause for thought. They looked at each other as if somehow having a silent discussion on what to do next and then smirked and rose from their seats. "We're going to see the tailor," Elladan announced proudly to the table.

Deciding to play along with whatever his sons were up to for the time being, Elrond sighed heavily and asked, "What for?"

"To get Aldarion a whole new set of clothes made," Elrohir said as if it were obvious.

"Why?" Legolas grinned at them.

"Because I know for a fact that as children the one thing we weren't spoilt for was clothes. We never had a lot of clothing in our rooms," Elladan pronounced proudly.

Elrond rolled his eyes and stifled a laugh. "You both had plenty of clothing. The reason there was never anything in your closets was that you got into so much filth and scrapes that you went through at least five sets of clean clothes per day."

The twins looked utterly scandalised but retook their seats, ignoring the laughter that rang around the dining room. Even Aldarion joined in, despite obviously not knowing what he was chuckling at. A moment later, identical heads came together as the twins whispered to each other about what they should do next. As they did that, the others returned to what remained of their meal.

Just as Legolas laid his utensils down, the dining room door opened and a messenger appeared. The whole room looked up in surprise. Usually it was frowned upon to interrupt the Rivendell family whilst they were spending private time together so it was quite a surprise to be disturbed so abruptly. Legolas could tell from the thunderous look on Elrond's face that he wasn't at all happy but the messenger stepped fully into the dining room and bowed low to the table.

"Excuse me, my Lord," the messenger said sincerely.

"This had better be good," Elrond warned, holding out his free hand for the note.

The Elf looked startled but said nervously, "The message is not for you, Lord Elrond."

Elrond lowered his hand. "Then who?"

"Prince Legolas, sir." He held out the message to the prince who looked from it to Elrond as if he didn't know what to do next. As far as he was concerned, no one even knew he was in Imladris and even if word of his presence had reached the other Elven realms he had been thrown out of both of them and couldn't imagine who would be brave enough to even make contact with him.

With a trembling hand, Legolas reached out and took the letter from the messenger's hand. Dread filled him when he noticed the royal seal of Mirkwood on the envelope. Now there was only one person this could have come from.

"Thank you," Elrond said sternly, dismissing the rather awkward-looking servant.

Now all eyes – except Aldarion's who was grasping at Elrond's braids in amusement – were fixed on Legolas but he seemed not to notice. With shaking fingers, he broke the royal seal and slid out two sheets of thick cream paper covered front and back in a familiar, sweeping writing. His eyes swept over the first few lines and widened in surprise and anger. A hard blue gaze, burning with fury, turned on Elrond and glared for a moment.

"Legolas…" the Elven lord started, hoping to cool the argument before it even started. He too had noticed the seal of Mirkwood on the envelope and could guess the contents of the letter.

"Did you send my letter?" Legolas ground out, having no desire to hear platitudes.

"Perhaps we should…" Elrond gestured to the door, hoping to do this in private rather than at the table in front of his children.

Clearly Legolas disagreed with this as he asked again in a tense tone, "Did you send my letter to Thranduil?"

Realising that this wasn't going to pan out the way he had hoped, Elrond sighed and answered, "Yes, I did. But if you would just…"

"When?"

"Legolas…"

"When?" the prince demanded in a harsh voice.

Elrond dropped his gaze to the table but answered softly, "Just after Anara died."

The whole table tensed as Legolas' expression flickered rapidly from anger to sadness then back to anger once more. "You told him? You told Thranduil about Anara?"

"I did."

"Why?" Legolas shouted suddenly, making every startle. "Why would you do that?"

"I…"

"You know what he did to me."

"He deserved to know that he had a granddaughter and that she died. He was her grandfather, Legolas," Elrond tried to defend his actions.

"He deserves nothing!" Legolas yelled. "He abandoned his grandchildren when he threw me from my home and turned all my friends against me."

"Melleth nin, please listen to me…"

"No!" Legolas shouted, slamming his hand down hard on the table and then standing up. "You had no right, Elrond! No right!" He shoved his chair aside and strode to the door, clutching Thranduil's letter in his hand, the paper already rumpled.

"Legolas?" Elrond called after him, starting to follow, but then he realised that a rather agitated Aldarion was still in his arms. He didn't want to have to argue this out in front of their baby even if Aldarion was too young to understand his parents' words.

Arwen appeared at his side and gently took the child from his arms. "Go after him, Ada. Aldarion will be fine with us," she assured in a soft voice.

"Thank you," he smiled, and, after a final glance at his son, rushed from the room to find Legolas. The very first place he checked was in the gardens, figuring that the prince would go to the place he felt most at home, in the trees. The garden was empty though so Elrond resumed his search within the House instead. After checking the library, the Halls of Fire and Glorfindel's rooms, Elrond decided to return to his own rooms and hope that once Legolas had cooled off a little he would return there so they could talk this through properly. When he pushed open the door, though, he was shocked to see Legolas in the bedroom, throwing his possessions into a travelling pack. "Legolas? What are you doing?" Elrond asked, stepping slowly into the bedroom.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Legolas snapped angrily, although Elrond could see tears streaking down his cheeks.

Cautiously, Elrond said, "It looks like you're leaving but that can't be true because just last night you swore that you would never leave."

"Actually, I think I said that I'd never leave with Aldarion."

"Where are you going?" the older Elf asked tentatively, trying to keep his pounding heart in check.

"Anywhere," Legolas said bluntly. "Anywhere but here."

"And you're not taking Aldarion with you?"

Legolas shook his head and swallowed back his tears. "He's safer here with you."

"Safer?" Elrond asked thickly. He didn't know which was worse – that Legolas had considered taking Aldarion or that he had to leave him behind. "Why will he be safer with me?" Legolas ignored him completely this time, shoving a couple of shirts into the bag and squashing them down tightly so there was more room in the small bag. "Legolas, why are you leaving? If it is because I contacted Thranduil then I am sorry. I shouldn't have done it. But it is done now and we can talk it through…"

"It's not that!" Legolas shouted, throwing a tunic down in anger. He met Elrond's gaze and demanded, "You have no idea what you've done, do you?"

"I…"

"You told him I was here in Rivendell. He wasn't certain before but now he is."

"So?" Elrond shrugged in confusion.

"So you told him I had the babies! You told him about Aldarion, about his grandson. He knows where we are and now he's coming here too!"

"What?" Elrond breathed.

Legolas nudged the letter that now lay on the bed, "He writes that he wants to see me and Aldarion."

Drawing himself up to his full height, Elrond said, "So let him come. What can he do?"

"What can he do?" Legolas exclaimed in disbelief. "He despises me, Elrond. You honestly think that after throwing me from Mirkwood and turning everyone I care about against me he's just popping by to say 'congratulations' and 'good luck for the future'?"

Elrond watched as Legolas resumed his frenzied packing. "No…I…"

"He'll take Aldarion and do who knows what with him," Legolas stated with certainty.

"And…you're going where?" Elrond asked again, still unclear as to what Legolas was doing.

"Back to Mirkwood."

Panic suddenly raced through Elrond at the thought of Legolas leaving and he quickly approached the bed so he was stood next to the blonde Elf. "You're going back to your father? Why, Legolas?"

"Because if I'm there then he doesn't have to come here," the young Elf told him as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "He won't come after Aldarion if he has me," Legolas explained, his voice cracking slightly at the thought of having to leave his son and Elrond behind where he knew he would probably never see them ever again. "He'll be safe here if I go back."

Elrond watched Legolas' frantic hands stuffing things in the bag, mesmerised by the movement, but then the words properly sunk in and he reached out and grabbed Legolas' hands to get his full attention. "Legolas, will you please stop this?"

"What?" Legolas demanded angrily, tears shining in his eyes again.

"Sit down," the Elven lord encouraged kindly, guiding Legolas to sit down on a clear part of the bed. "Take some deep breaths and calm yourself down." He strode into the bathroom and poured a glass of water and took it back to Legolas. "Take a sip of this," he instructed, handing the glass to the trembling blonde Elf. Legolas managed to take a couple of gulps before the panic over-ruled common sense and he shoved the glass back into Elrond's hands before going to stand up. "Melleth nin, please sit down."

"No. I have to go!"

"You don't have to go anywhere," Elrond said calmly now he understood what Legolas was doing and he'd had time to consider the possibilities.

"But Thranduil…"

"Is coming here, I know," Elrond finished.

"Elrond, let me go!" Legolas yelled, pushing the Elven lord back and jumping to his feet. Elrond grabbed his arms to keep him from moving away. "Let go of me."

"I'm not letting you return to Mirkwood," Elrond stated firmly.

"Well, it's not your choice. I'm leaving."

"You are not."

"You can't stop me!" Legolas yelled, wishing he could make his partner understand that this was the only way.

""Actually, I can. When you came to Imladris you made an official request for asylum and I granted it so under Imladrian law I am obliged to protect you no matter what."

"Not once I step outside Rivendell's borders," Legolas easily countered.

"I won't let you, Legolas. Who knows what Thranduil will do if you return to Mirkwood."

"Better me than our son."

"Thranduil will not get Aldarion," the lord of Imladris said with such confidence that it made Legolas stop trying to get away and actually listen.

"How can you be sure?" the prince asked tearfully although in little more than a whisper.

"Because I won't let it happen," Elrond said almost fiercely. He eased Legolas to sit down again the crouched in front of him, taking his hands and squeezing tightly. "I have protected you this long, haven't I? If I have to summon every guard in Imladris to surround this room day and night to keep Thranduil away from you and Aldarion then I will do so gladly. I will not let him hurt you again, melleth nin. And he will not touch our son if you don't want it. As long as you're in Imladris you are safe, I swear to you."

"What if he tries to take him away?" Legolas asked around a sob.

Elrond smiled soothingly, reaching up his hand to caress Legolas' damp cheek. "Then I will personally tackle the mighty king of Mirkwood to the ground then throw him out of Imladris myself." A small, shaky smile tugged at the corners of Legolas' lips. "It will be all right. I promise you."

The younger Elf nodded gently but at the same time sobbed, "I can't face him. I just can't."

"Shh," Elrond soothed, moving to sit up on the bed and pulling Legolas into his arms. "You won't have to if you don't want to." Legolas laid his head against Elrond's chest as he cried, pleased for those strong arms wrapped around him. "I'll always take care of you and Aldarion, I swear it. Nothing will happen to you, my love."

"I'm sorry," Legolas sighed, closing his eyes.

"No, I'm sorry. You were right. That letter was private and I had no right to even read it let alone send it to your father," Elrond said softly.

"It doesn't matter now."

Elrond decided not to push further, not wanting to risk exciting Legolas' anger again. Instead he just held the prince close until he felt ready to sit back. "It will be all right, Legolas, I promise."

Legolas wiped away his tears with the back of his hand and said softly. "I am sorry, Elrond."

"What for?"

Blue eyes swept up to meet Elrond's brown ones. "For not trusting you. I know you will always keep your word to keep us safe and I do not doubt you, melleth nin. It's just…" His gaze drifted down to his lap as he considered his words but Elrond remained respectfully silent, waiting patiently for him to feel ready to continue. Legolas' voice was barely audible when he spoke again. "I fear him, Elrond. I know it's ridiculous – he's my father and he loved me and raised me and I do still love him in return – but I fear what he will do to me, what he will say."

Elrond took Legolas' hand and squeezed tightly. "It is not ridiculous. But you do not have to be afraid here. So long as you are in Imladris you are under my protection and I will not let him hurt you in any way."

Letting out a deep sigh, Legolas leaned back into Elrond's arms again, resting his head against Elrond's broad chest. "Why are things never simple anymore? I miss the times when all we had to worry about was keeping our relationship from your people and compared to this, that was easy."

"I know," Elrond whispered, smoothing golden hair back. He was content to just hold Legolas for a long while and the prince laid against him, feeling loved and protected in those arms. After a few minutes though, Elrond looked around the rooms and smiled. "I think we should clear this place up then get some rest. It has been a…trying day," he said carefully.

"Wait. Where is Aldarion?" Legolas asked suddenly, sitting up straight.

"Relax. He is with Arwen and the twins. They said they'd watch him whilst we…talked," Elrond assured and Legolas' tension eased again. "Why don't I go fetch him whilst you put your things away then we'll go to bed."

Legolas nodded in agreement so Elrond stood and went to relieve Arwen, Elladan and Elrohir of Aldarion, who seemed totally enraptured by his sibling's antics. Elrohir and Elladan in particular seemed sad to see him go; they didn't really get to spend much time with their younger brother, which was a shame because they were both very good at keeping their baby brother entertained. After thanking them all for looking after Aldarion and assuring them that all was well with Legolas, Elrond went straight to Glorfindel's office and threw the door open without bothering to knock.

At first Glorfindel looked up idly from his paperwork, ready to give whoever had just entered his office without announcement a lecture about manners, but when he saw it was Elrond he leapt to his feet in respect and bowed. "My Lord…"

"Thranduil is coming to Imladris. Ensure the scouts are informed and make it clear that I want to know the very second he sets foot inside my realm," the Elven ruler ordered firmly. When Glorfindel opened his mouth to speak, Elrond said coldly, "I don't want to hear any questions or excuses, Captain. Do I make myself clear?"

Realising that he was now speaking to his lord and ruler rather than his old friend, Glorfindel bowed again and replied formally. "Yes, my Lord."

Elrond turned to leave but then thought of something else. "And don't you dare say 'I told you so'."

Before Glorfindel could respond, Elrond was out the door, slamming it hard behind him. "I wouldn't dream of it, my Lord," he muttered to himself with a smile.

He had always had an enormous amount of respect for his lord but there were still times when he felt a little annoyed at being put down by Elrond. He was, after all, far older and far more experienced than the Half-Elven. And yet it was Elrond who had led the Elves to what was now known as Rivendell, it had been he who had built the beautiful Elven haven, and despite all the guards, it was Elrond who protected through the use of his Ring Vilya. For those reasons – and many, many more besides – Glorfindel not only respected Elrond greatly but admired him also. His open house policy for those of any friendly race seeking sanctuary within Imladrian borders was looked upon by some as a lack of sensibility but Glorfindel saw very early on that the trained healer had a genuine desire to help those in need. He had stood resolutely by Elrond's side as he stood up to his critics and guided his people in the construction of Rivendell in the idyllic valley.

At first he had been there to merely support his friend but as Elrond spoke so passionately about a haven from the harsh reality of the world, of a place of peace and healing, Glorfindel had come to share in his vision.

Just a few years after Rivendell had been founded and its people had started to settle, Glorfindel had gone into Elrond's half-completed office to find him staring out at his new realm through the pouring rain. It was then that Elrond had finally confided in the Elda in hushed tones that he possessed the Ring Vilya, given to him by his own lord, Gil-Galad before he fell in battle. For the first time since they had entered the empty valley and started to build the realm of Imladris, Glorfindel saw the heavy burden Elrond had been landed with and how much he still struggled to come to terms with the responsibility.

There, in the cold, dark office as rain hammered on the roof and wind howled outside and thunder rolled around the valley, Glorfindel had sworn his unfailing allegiance to Elrond's cause and vowed to support him no matter what. It was only after that that Elrond had walked with a lighter step and made peace with his decision to form Rivendell and bear the responsibility of yielding the Ring. Not long after that night, Elrond had asked Glorfindel to act as his chief advisor, captain of his guard and seneschal, keeper of his House. Glorfindel had accepted instantly and without hesitation, ignoring Elrond's suggestion that he should take some time to think upon his decision. He had informed the dark-haired Elf that it would be his honour to serve under him.

There were, however, still times when Glorfindel wished he had more control over his lord. But Elrond, as always, had a mind of his own and once a decision was made he didn't backtrack on it. Glorfindel understood that; he had knowledge of Imladris and his people that no other person could ever possess. Not that he didn't make mistakes – there had been plenty of those over the centuries of varying degrees of severity. Like, for example, sending word to King Thranduil in Mirkwood.

When Elrond had ordered Glorfindel to send it via messenger Glorfindel had advised against it but he had done so because he trusted his lord knew what he was doing.

Now, a probably somewhat wrathful Thranduil was bearing down upon them and they were powerless to prevent his coming. Of course, Glorfindel would protect both Elrond and Legolas with his life, as would almost every other faithful Elf in Rivendell if it came to that, which Glorfindel hoped it would not.

Unfortunately, Legolas had said so little about what had actually happened when he had been banished from Mirkwood that Glorfindel didn't know what to expect when Thranduil arrived. No doubt the king would be angry but what exactly he would do remained a mystery and would probably remain that way until Thranduil came pounding on their door.

This made Glorfindel intensely nervous. He wasn't afraid of Thranduil, he could look after himself even up against the mighty king, but he did not relish being on the receiving end of the king's temper either. And nor, he suspected, did Elrond.

**OIOI**

The next couple of days passed quietly. Legolas remained subdued although he threw himself entirely into the task of caring for their son. The only thing that prevented him from spending the entire day with him was his exhaustion, which still got the better of him to the point where he could simply no longer keep going even a moment longer. Thankfully, Arwen came by in the afternoons after she had completed her duties in the House to allow Legolas some time to rest. He usually ended up sleeping most of the afternoon away after having lunch with Arwen and his son. It was an annoyance and he felt bad having to burden his friend but she seemed glad to help and even enjoyed looking after the delightful Aldarion.

If it hadn't of been for the impending arrival of Thranduil, Legolas would have considered himself contented with his situation in Imladris. Since the evening two days ago, Elrond had tried several times to talk to him about what might happen when his father arrived in Rivendell but he had refused, wanting to just put the whole thing out of his mind for a while. He had shoved the offending letter in the back of the drawer of Elrond's desk in the lounge, not wanting to even think about it. His exhausted mind couldn't handle it yet. Just a few more days of denial wouldn't hurt.

The one good thing that came out of this was that he was no longer having inappropriate thoughts about Elrond. In a way he missed that, though. At least they had only been about something base and simple. His mind now was filled with so much that he could hardly make sense of any of it.

**OIOI**

Legolas' afternoon sleep was interrupted by a cool hand being placed on his cheek. He moved away from the hand and tried to shove the blanket off him, wondering when it had suddenly gotten so hot in the room. He hadn't been so hot when he'd lain down earlier.

"Legolas, are you all right?" Elrond's voice made him open his eyes. "Legolas?"

"What?" the prince mumbled tiredly.

"It is getting late; do you want some dinner?" Elrond asked quietly and Legolas noticed for the first time that he was sitting on the bed next to him. "Legolas?"

"Late?"

"It's gone sunset," Elrond explained patiently, growing rather concerned by Legolas' slow response time. As the blonde Elf mumbled something incoherent, Elrond laid his hand against Legolas' forehead. "You're hot, my love," he commented softly, moving his hand down to the prince's wrist to take his pulse. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Legolas confessed, blinking lethargically up at Elrond.

Elrond nodded in understanding but asked, "Any pain anywhere?"

A frown creased Legolas' forehead as he considered this. "My head aches."

"What about your stomach?" he asked gently, unbuttoning Legolas' shirt to examine him. He pressed down on the soft flesh, noting Legolas flinch.

"Aches," Legolas muttered but he hissed sharply when Elrond continued to prod him.

"Sorry," Elrond said, removing his hand. Really Elrond wasn't massively surprised at this sudden bout of illness. His previous – although admittedly limited – experience of male Elven pregnancies had taught him that fathers often suffered even after the pregnancy and birth were over with. After receiving such a beating of course, the body could not return completely to normal. Even so, the thought of Legolas being in pain hurt Elrond too.

"I'll make you something up for the pain and for that fever." Elrond got up and went to fetch his medical bag, which he had decided to keep in their rooms just in case. As he retrieved a pre-prepared vial of medicine, Legolas had struggled to sit up and was trying to push himself to stand. "Stay where you are," Elrond advised, noting how Legolas had paled even further. He returned to the bed and held out the vial for his partner. "Take that," he encouraged but noticed how Legolas looked doubtfully at the liquid, obviously remembering the last time he had swallowed one of Elrond's concoctions – during the kidnapping crisis, Elrond had drugged him into sleep. "Don't worry; it's just a painkiller, nothing more."

The blonde nodded carefully, suggesting his head hurt more than he let on, and swallowed down the liquid. Trying not to wince at the taste, Legolas did hope that it would start to work soon. He had felt fine – or as fine as he ever did these days – when he had laid down for his afternoon nap but now he had to admit to feeling terrible.

Elrond pulled the bed sheets back and quickly plumped up the pillows then patted the mattress gently.

"Come and lie down, melleth nin."

Unable to find the strength to protest, Legolas did as he was told and slid under the covers with a sigh. Elrond tucked them around the Elf and stroked Legolas' hair back tenderly.

"Try to sleep some more, all right?"

Legolas nodded and let his eyes slip closed although he concentrated on the feel of Elrond's hand stroking over his forehead and hair, soothing him until he drifted off to sleep again.

Later that night, long after Elrond had put Aldarion to bed and he himself had fallen into sleep beside the still-sleeping prince, the silence of their rooms was disturbed enough to wake Elrond up. At first, Elrond thought it was Aldarion and he sat up ready to go to the nursery. However, he no longer heard anything and he knew that his son would not stop his screeching until he got the attention he wanted. Then he realised that Legolas' side of the bed was empty. Thinking that maybe he had been more deeply asleep than he first thought and Legolas had been forced to get up and see to their fussing son, Elrond climbed out of bed and went on silent feet to peer around the nursery door. Aldarion remained sound asleep in his crib and apart from him the room was empty.

Frowning, Elrond returned to his own bedroom, carefully closing Aldarion's door behind him so he didn't disturb the baby. He went to the lounge but that also remained dark and empty. With only one last place to check – unless Legolas had left their chambers entirely, which was unlikely seeing as he had been feeling unwell – Elrond went to the bathroom door and tapped on it gently.

"Legolas, are you in there?" his suspicions were confirmed when he heard someone moving about in the bathroom. "Melleth nin, are you all right?" All he heard in response was a retching, indicating that Legolas was anything but all right. "Legolas, I'm coming in." He didn't hear any protest so Elrond slowly opened the door and peered inside.

He found Legolas sitting on the floor in the dark, bent over a bowl into which he had been vomiting. Elrond rushed over and fell to his knees next to the younger Elf as he started retching again. Obviously he had nothing left in his stomach anymore but it still protested. One of Elrond's hands immediately went to Legolas' back in support whilst the other was raised to the prince's forehead.

"You're still warm," he said softly. "How long have you felt sick?" he asked as he quickly lit the lamp so they could at least see what they were doing.

"A while," Legolas answered in a quiet, thick voice.

"Why on earth didn't you wake me if you weren't feeling well?"

Legolas just shook his head softly, bending closer to the basin but bringing up nothing but water now. Elrond sat back next to Legolas, soothing the young Elf through the worst of it. His comforting could continue no more than a few minutes before he was interrupted by a loud squealing from Aldarion in the nursery. Suddenly, Elrond found himself being torn between staying with his partner and seeing to his fussing son. The healer in him told him that Legolas needed him more but the parent part of him knew he couldn't leave his child crying.

Thankfully, Legolas solved his dilemma a moment later. He had also heard the crying and looked up at Elrond. "Go see to him."

Elrond was reluctant to leave Legolas sitting on the bathroom floor but knew he didn't really have a choice. "Are you sure?" The younger Elf nodded but he didn't speak again, suggesting his stomach was churning ominously once more. Elrond got to his feet and promised, "I'll be back as soon as I can."

He strode into the nursery and gently picked up the crying Aldarion. "What is the matter, little one? You're not upset about your ada, are you?" he asked, rocking the baby gently in his arms. Big blue eyes looked up at him as if in understanding. Really Elrond knew that sometimes Aldarion merely needed to hear a familiar voice to settle him.

Sure enough, fifteen minutes later Aldarion was asleep again and Elrond was able to put him back into his crib, safely tucked in amongst the blankets. Carefully, so as not to disturb Aldarion, Elrond backed out of the nursery, planning to return to the bathroom to see to Legolas. However, when he entered the bedroom he now found Legolas laid on his side on their bed, one arm draped across his abdomen. Elrond sat next to him and laid his hand on Legolas' cheek. Tired eyes opened and looked to his partner.

"Aldarion?" Legolas asked quietly.

"He's asleep now. It didn't take him long to settle this time. How are you feeling now?" Legolas just nodded gently. "Do you still feel sick?"

"Not as bad."

"Good," Elrond smiled kindly, running his fingers through soft blonde hair. "How is the pain?" This time, Legolas merely closed his eyes, and that told Elrond everything he needed to know. "I'll get you something to ease it then," he said, immediately reaching for his bag. Glad that he had previously prepared plenty of the important pain-relieving herbal mixture, Elrond retrieved one of the glass vials. Normally his bag of supplies would only hold the essentials but with his concerns over Legolas' health after the birth – not to mention his position as head healer – had convinced him to ensure that he was prepared for pretty much anything when it came to the prince. "Drink," he instructed gently and Legolas pulled himself up so he could take the medicine. Once he had drained the vial, Elrond advised, "Lay back down and try to get some rest, my love."

Legolas nodded and slid down the bed with a sigh of relief. He heard Elrond replacing the bag and then slipping into the bed next to him. A tentative hand was placed on Legolas' arm, as if Elrond was uncertain whether he would be better to comfort the prince or merely stay back and give the young Elf some space. His silent query was answered when Legolas took his hand and shifted back a little. Right away, Elrond shuffled forwards, wrapping Legolas in his embrace. With Elrond's warm body pressed against him and strong arms surrounding him, the pain was helped by the distraction enough for him to slip into sleep.

Elrond waited until he felt Legolas' tension ease and his breathing deepen before he allowed himself to also drift off to sleep. He knew this wouldn't be the last time Legolas suffered one of these episodes and that it would probably take him a few days to recover from this. He'd have to ask Arwen in the morning if she could stay with Aldarion tomorrow; Legolas would need to rest for at least another couple of days before he'd be well enough to look after a baby on his own again.

Yes, they had gotten a beautiful baby boy out of it but Legolas really had paid a great price for it. Elrond could only hope that the young Elf didn't regret it all. If he was honest, he wasn't sure that he could say that if he had been in Legolas' position he wouldn't have had that very thought. Having thought that, he doubted he would have had the strength to go through what Legolas had been through and come out the other side with the same strength.

He held Legolas a little tighter, once more marvelling at his love.

**To Be Continued…**


	29. Uncomfortable Questions

Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****If you don't know it by now…well…**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 29 ~ Uncomfortable Questions**

**OIOI**

After a couple of days of being confined to bed it was fair to say that Legolas was starting to feel a little restless. At first he had been glad for the chance to rest. After his bout of sickness he had been left feeling weak and tired and spent the entire first day sleeping soundly, safe in the knowledge that Aldarion was being looked after. He was grateful beyond words to Arwen for helping him out. He honestly didn't think he'd have the energy to do much of anything.

However, after a couple of days rest, his strength had returned to its former level – not perfect but not so bad that he couldn't even move – and he found himself eager to get up and take care of his son once again. Elrond was insistent that he continue to rest though and confined him to bed for at least another couple of days.

Now he was completely bored, sitting in bed bathed in afternoon sunlight. Sighing, he decided that this was ridiculous; he shouldn't be sitting idly in bed whilst Arwen was in the next room caring for his son.

Daring to risk Elrond's annoyance, he threw the covers aside and swung his legs over the side of the bed. The second his foot touched the floor, the door opened and Elrond came in, a frown crossing his face.

"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded.

Looking up guiltily, Legolas searched for an answer. "Going to the bathroom."

"Nice try," Elrond said, striding over to the bed. "Lie back."

The blonde Elf did as he was told but complained, "What if I actually did need the bathroom?"

"Do you?" Elrond asked, replacing the sheets over Legolas.

"Maybe."

"Very well. I'll go get you a bedpan." Legolas rolled his eyes and shook his head, realising that there was no point in trying to lie to his partner any longer. He laid back in surrender and sighed in annoyance. "I thought so," Elrond said triumphantly.

"Why can I not get up? I feel better."

"I want you to rest some more," Elrond explained, sitting on the bed and placing his hand on Legolas' forehead, pleased to find he could no longer feel even a trace of fever.

"I have been resting for two and a half days, Elrond. Being in bed all day is driving me stir crazy. At least let me…I don't know, feed Aldarion or change him or…just do _something_," Legolas pleaded. Elrond looked him up and down, clearly considering the request. Seeing this, the prince jumped at the chance to convince him. "I won't over-exert myself. I just want to get out of bed for a couple of hours, that's all."

"You really feel fine? No pain? No nausea?"

"Yes. No more than usual. And no."

"You're sure?"

"Absolutely positive."

"Promise me that if you feel even a little tired or unwell you'll send for me and come and lie back down."

"I promise."

"All right. You may get out of bed. But I still want you to rest," he warned.

"Understood," Legolas agreed, throwing the sheets back again.

"Nothing too strenuous," Elrond reminded him, supporting him as he stood up. "Try to eat something for lunch today. I'm afraid I can't stay for long but I will be asking Arwen to keep an eye on you."

"That's not necessary, Elrond. I'm fine now."

"Just humour me, please."

Legolas smiled and pulled clean but comfortable clothes from the closet. "Don't worry, I will honour my word and even allow your daughter to watch me like I'm a child."

"That is all I ask. Now, I have to get back to the office before Erestor has a complete meltdown." He gathered Legolas in his arms and pressed a kiss onto Legolas' forehead tenderly. "I'll see you later, melleth nin."

"See you later." Feeling better now he was on his feet again and in proper clothes, Legolas went into the lounge where Arwen was waiting for him. He only had eyes for Aldarion though and Arwen immediately handed the baby over. "Hello, ion nin. Did you miss me? Or were you having so much fun with Arwen that you didn't even notice my absence?" he cooed over the little baby. Aldarion responded by grabbing a fistful of Legolas' hair and tugging with a gurgling laugh. The prince grinned down at him.

"I was about to feed him. Do you want to do it or would you like me to? Ada told me that you had to rest."

He smiled gently at her as he sat down carefully in the armchair. "I don't think that holding a bottle will push my body to the limits." She smiled back but handed him the bottle without comment. With Aldarion nestled in his arms, gulping down his milk, Legolas felt content again. Once the baby had finished his lunch, Legolas lifted him up and smiled. "There, that was easy enough, wasn't it? All that worry for nothing." He looked pointedly over at Arwen as he said this but she just shot him a scathing look over the top of her book. "Didn't your other ada tell you that it would be fine?" Carefully patting the small back, Legolas continued to talk to his baby not caring that Arwen was watching – she did it often enough so why couldn't he? "He just worries too much, doesn't he, penneth? You just wait until you're older and he starts fussing over you constantly."

Arwen laughed softly and assured her baby brother, "Don't worry, Aldarion, you'll get used to it. And I'm sure your Silvan ada will fuss just as much."

"I gave birth to him; I'm entitled to fuss. Elrond just does it for the fun of it," Legolas said matter-of-factly and Arwen could only laugh at him. Legolas sighed softly, returning Aldarion to his arms where he settled contentedly, clearly sleepy after his bottle. "It seems, ion nin, that with two such fussy parents you are destined to remain an over-protected child from both sides. And no doubt from your siblings too."

"If it is your prerogative as a parent to worry then it is my prerogative as his sister to worry," Arwen stated firmly, closing her book for good.

"Ah, it seems you are doomed to be smothered your entire life, ion nin. And there is nothing at all I can do about it," Legolas smiled, stroking his son's face with a delicate finger. "But you shall always have an ally in me. Us over-protective types must stick together, you know."

Arwen couldn't help but smile sweetly as she watched Legolas tenderly rock his son until he had fallen into a contented sleep. As much as she liked taking care of Aldarion she liked watching Legolas do so more. Despite his initial reservations on parenthood he really was a natural and the baby seemed completely at ease with him now, settling more easily than he had before. If she hadn't known better, Arwen would have believed that his time in the hands of the Men had made him realise how much he wanted his ada close to him. It really was quite endearing.

"Legolas, can I ask you something?" Arwen said through the peaceful silence.

Looking up from his son, the blonde Elf said quietly, "Of course."

"Did you ever consider getting married?"

Shoving aside his instant shock at the question, Legolas replied, "To your father, you mean?" Arwen nodded so the prince sighed and continued, "I think we may have discussed it in passing once or twice but that was so long ago. It was – _is _– illegal in Mirkwood so we knew it would never be acknowledged there."

"But it could have been here," Arwen prompted.

Legolas shrugged gently. "We never really saw the point."

"The point is you could have been married."

"Even if we had wanted to go through with the ceremony it was all just too complicated."

"Complicated how? You love Ada, Ada loves you. It would have been perfect," Arwen pressed, sitting forward in her seat.

Legolas smiled softly. "Elrond is Lord of Imladris and I am…_was_ the Prince of Mirkwood. It wasn't just about us. If we got married it would have involved all of Imladris and Mirkwood too. There would have been endless negotiations and tweaks to existing treaties, not to mention all the official nonsense that also surrounded the process."

"I never thought of it that way," Arwen confessed with a sad, defeated sigh.

"Like I said: complicated," Legolas smiled, looking back down at Aldarion. "But that's all right. We never needed the official ceremony. We had each other, that is all that matters. Oh, and this one," he added, nodding down at Aldarion.

Arwen also smiled but then asked, with a mixture of passion and excitement, "But have you never wanted more?"

"More than what?"

"You could have been fully bonded."

"For all intents and purposes we are bonded, Arwen," Legolas smiled at her eagerness. "What good would sitting through a nonsensical ceremony do us?"

Looking utterly astounded at that, Arwen argued, "It would make it official! Everyone would know that you are bonded for eternity."

"Everyone already knows we are together," Legolas said softly as Arwen sat back in defeat. Suddenly a rather worrying thought occurred to Legolas and he asked, "This isn't Elrond's thinking as well, is it? He didn't put you up to this, did he?"

Laughing at her friend's concern, Arwen assured, "Don't worry; Ada doesn't know I'm asking. I was just curious, that's all."

"Good." Legolas relaxed back. "And Arwen, don't go spreading this about, please. I don't want our relationship turned into gossip for all of Imladris."

"Of course I wouldn't do that."

"I know you wouldn't." After a while of sitting and watching his son sleeping, Legolas looked up at Arwen who was reading her book once again, although he sensed her watching him as well. "Arwen, would you mind putting Aldarion to bed. I think I need to lie down for a while," Legolas said softly.

Arwen immediately sat up straight, concern creasing her brow. "Yes, of course I will," she said, standing up and carefully taking Aldarion from his arms. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, just…tired. Maybe Elrond was right, I do need to rest some more," he said quietly as he gingerly pushed himself up from the chair.

"Do you want me to send for Ada?"

"No thank you. I just need to lie down for an hour," Legolas assured her. "If you don't mind looking after him."

"We'll be fine. Go put your feet up and rest," Arwen smiled kindly.

"Thank you." The blonde Elf walked slowly into the bedroom, pushing the door closed after him.

Even though she was worried about her friend, Arwen decided that she would hold off summoning her father for a while. She would leave Legolas to sleep for a couple of hours and then she how he was. If he still wasn't feeling well later then she would send for her father and get him to check Legolas over. In the meantime she had Aldarion to take care of.

**OIOI**

"He's been fine for the past few hours but he looked really pale earlier before he went to lie down," Arwen whispered as her father entered the bedroom. "He's been sleeping all afternoon. I didn't like to disturb him."

"He probably just needed some sleep," Elrond told her, glancing over at Legolas, who remained asleep on the bed.

"Well, if you don't need my anymore, I'll get going. Aldarion has been fed and I've put him to bed, although I expect he'll be up again soon. He has been fussing since Legolas went to bed."

"Thank you for looking after them. I appreciate it," Elrond said, hugging his daughter tightly.

"It was my pleasure," she smiled into her shoulder. "I take it you will be taking your evening meal in here?" Arwen asked, pulling back.

"I think that might be best."

"Then I should go and dress for dinner. Someone has to keep my hooligan brothers company," she laughed softly. "Good night, Ada."

"Goodnight, sweetheart." He kissed her brow and watched as she walked silently from the chambers to sit with her brothers for the evening. Really his children had proven themselves completely time and time again in the past few weeks and he owed them a great debt of gratitude. Smiling and shaking his head in wonder at his children, Elrond went over to the bed and swept Legolas' ruffled blonde hair away from his face. In the evening light the young Elf looked peaceful curled up on his side, his eyes closed to the world. In fact, that Legolas still slept with his eyes closed like a Human worried Elrond slightly but it no longer seemed to bother Legolas so it was obviously nothing too serious. After making sure that Legolas had no fever, Elrond sat back and smiled. So far as he could tell, Legolas was fine, just a little tired, so he decided to leave him be for the time being. As long as he was peaceful, Elrond was happy to leave him to sleep.

It was nearly midnight when Legolas finally stirred. He slowly opened his eyes to find the room completely dark. Stretching out his body, Legolas rolled over onto his back with a yawn and found himself laid next to Elrond, who was fast asleep beside him. Wondering how on earth he had managed to sleep through Elrond's return, the young Elf pushed the covers off himself and sat up, rubbing his hands down his face as another yawn escaped him.

"You're awake," Elrond's voice said from beside Legolas, startling him slightly.

"Yes. Why didn't you wake me earlier?"

"You're joking, right? I was hardly quiet coming in here and you didn't even stir. I don't think an entire hoard of Orcs rampaging through her on Oliphaunts could have woken you," Elrond laughed, sitting up as well.

"Sorry," Legolas said around another yawn.

"I was kidding, Legolas. I'm pleased you're finally listening to me and allowing yourself some rest."

"Is Aldarion all right?"

"He's just fine. Arwen put him to bed and so far he's slept right through the evening."

"Oh, I left him with Arwen," Legolas sighed guiltily.

"She didn't mind, melleth nin. In fact, she is rather enjoying being chief baby-sitter. You are making her rather broody I think. Although I think she will struggle without a husband," he chuckled softly.

Legolas smiled, although at the mention of a husband his mind immediately went back to the conversation he had had with Arwen earlier that afternoon. It was true that he had never really considered properly bonding with Elrond through all their years of being together. Maybe it had passed through his mind briefly during those years after they had first met but his father and his responsibility had always stood in the way. Male bondings were banned in Mirkwood and Legolas, being the prince of that realm, could hardly flout that law. Besides, Thranduil had had enough trouble adjusting to the fact that his son was seeing the lord of Imladris without adding bonding to the mix. Now, however, Thranduil was no longer in the picture and Legolas could not even be considered a citizen of Mirkwood anymore let alone its prince. He was no longer bound by Mirkwood law. And yet it still had not really occurred to him all through his pregnancy that he could not be officially bonded to the Lord of Imladris. After Arwen had mentioned it to him though, it now seemed so obviously.

All of Imladris knew of their relationship and had adjusted to it over the years. Gossip had been prevalent throughout the realm when they had first announced their love for one another but they had been mostly oblivious to it – or had blatantly ignored it. But now Legolas supposed that by not bonding with Elrond he had been unwittingly creating even more scandal between them. 'Marriage' would have been the 'appropriate' thing to do. Granted, it wasn't necessary as such. Back then they had not been troubled by the need for true heirs to the kingdoms and even in more conventional relationships bonding was not necessary for the couple to consummate their love. There had simple been no need to do it.

The fact was that even before Legolas had met Elrond, he had never had any desire to marry anyone – although Thranduil had always had a long line of eligible maidens lined up for his consideration. When he had tentatively approached the Elven lord, it had only been a couple of hundred years since Celebrian had sailed West and another bonding the last thing on Elrond's mind. In fact, Legolas didn't even know if the Lord of Imladris would desire to fully bond with another. It was hardly traditional for any Elf to marry twice but theirs was not a traditional relationship by any means.

"Legolas?" The prince looked up at his name being called. "Are you hungry? You missed dinner this evening. I can have some food brought here."

"Thank you," Legolas smiled.

Elrond nodded then quickly lit the lamp and went to the lounge door to tell a servant to have some food sent up, being quiet so he didn't accidentally wake the sleeping baby in the nursery. Once that was done he returned to the bedroom to find Legolas still sat in the bed, his eyes glazed in thought.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, lighting another lamp so they could see properly what they were doing.

"No," Legolas answered almost dreamily but then seemed to realise how unconvincing it sounded so looked up and smiled softly. "No, I was just thinking."

"About?"

"Oh, just something Arwen said earlier. A silly thing. Nothing to…worry about," Legolas said hastily.

"And yet it has you troubled," Elrond stated as he pulled Legolas some nightclothes from the chest of drawers. "What did she say?"

"Nothing important. It doesn't matter," Legolas said, pulling his hair back over his shoulders.

"Clearly it matters to you. Tell me, melleth nin, please."

This time, Legolas smiled more genuinely and assured Elrond, "It's nothing, I promise." Elrond nodded and returned to picking out clothes. That afternoon, Legolas had fallen asleep in his clothes and Elrond had not wanted to risk waking him by getting him changed into nightclothes. As he rifled through the drawers, a small, almost nervous voice asked from the bed, "Elrond, did you ever consider bonding with me?"

Taken completely by surprise at the out-of-the-blue question, Elrond stopped what he was doing suddenly, simply freezing on the spot. Of all the things that Legolas could have asked, that was the last question Elrond would have expected. He honestly didn't know how to respond. Slowly he turned to face Legolas, his heart beating wildly in his chest as the blonde Elf watched him with the same intensity.

After a long moment of this dumb staring, Elrond asked, "Excuse me?"

Broken from his thoughts by the small voice, Legolas shook his head. "Nothing. It doesn't matter. Just forget I said anything."

Elrond rushed to stop Legolas from heading for the bathroom in retreat. "Wait. Bonding?" he asked with a small, uncomfortable chuckle. "You…you want us to get married?"

"That's not what I said," Legolas protested a little too loudly considering there was a sleeping baby in the next room. "I just asked if you'd ever considered it, that's all."

For a moment Elrond stared into blue eyes, which did their best to avoid him. "I…It…It's never really crossed my mind. I'm sorry, Legolas. You have never mentioned bonding before. I never really thought it was anything we needed to discuss."

"It wasn't. It's not."

"Do…Do you want to get married?"

"No," Legolas exclaimed quickly but then said softly, "I don't know."

Slowly, Elrond sat down on the bed next to Legolas, as if for this conversation he needed to be sitting rather than standing. "I never…You never gave any indication that this was on your mind before."

"It wasn't," Legolas said, looking down at his hands.

"Is this the discussion you and Arwen were having this afternoon?"

Legolas shrugged. "She asked me if I had ever considered it before. It just made me think, that's all."

"Think about marriage?" Legolas nodded. "Melleth…"

"I didn't say I wanted to get married," the prince said defensively before Elrond could reject him. "I just wanted to mention it."

"Why? People don't ask things like that unless they have considered it. Legolas, honestly, do you want to be married to me?"

"No." Legolas looked up and met Elrond's eyes then smiled softly. "No. I know that after Lady Celebrian you would never dream of…"

"Forget about me and Celebrian. Is it what you want?" Elrond urged.

Wishing fervently that he had never brought up the subject at all, Legolas sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. "I don't know. Before it had never even crossed my mind. But after Arwen mentioned it, it just…made me think. I didn't bring it up to…prompt you into anything. I just…I don't know. Can we not just forget that I ever said anything?"

"I don't think we can," Elrond said softly. "Legolas, you know that I love you…"

"Don't. You don't have to rationalise your answer to me. I know it has never been your wish to bond with me. And I don't expect anything more from you. I just…I don't even know why I brought it up."

Elrond sighed heavily and said, "You know it is not as simple as…"

"I know. I don't want to get married. It's late; we should forget all about this. It's nothing important. We can discuss it another time."

"Legolas…"

"I'm tired. Let's just go to bed." The blonde Elf pulled his legs up and swung the covers over himself and rolled onto his side, facing away from Elrond. Watching as Legolas pointedly ignored him, Elrond nodded to himself then stood up.

"What about your food?" the Elven lord asked lamely.

"I'm not hungry, thank you. I just want to sleep," Legolas' muffled voice answered.

"Don't you even want to get changed?"

"I'm fine. Be quiet or you'll wake Aldarion."

"Now that I'm up I'm going to check in at the office," Elrond said quickly, really just wanting to be away from the sudden tension that followed in the wake of the intense conversation they had just had. Legolas made no attempt to respond so without even bothering to pull on a dressing gown, Elrond rushed out into the lounge, pleased for the reprieve. In the safety of the lounge, Elrond lowered himself into the chair by the cold and dark fireplace and leaned his head back. As the halting, awkward conversation played over in his mind, Elrond closed his eyes and tried to make sense of what had just happened.

How could things change so rapidly between them? Everything had been going so well in the last weeks, things had settled down once more between them after the arrival of King Thranduil's letter and now that Aldarion had also settled a little. Why must things become so terribly complex again? Elrond supposed that it wasn't really Legolas' – or even Arwen's – fault. After hundreds of years as a partnership, Elrond should have guessed that the issue of bonding would eventually arise. Had he been blind all these years to Legolas' true wishes? The prince had always been satisfied with their relationship as it was; neither of them had needed anything more than simple love and companionship. Certainly, the idea of marriage had never so much as crossed Elrond's mind. In his mind, Celebrian was his bonded and would always remain his bonded for as long as he lived – either here or in the Undying Lands.

After Celebrian had decided to sail West, Elrond had sworn that he would one day be reunited with her when his time on Middle Earth came to an end. Never in those first hundred years after her departure had he imagined he could love another let alone another male. And yet he did. He loved Legolas in an entirely different way to Celebrian. For centuries she had been his companion, his soul mate if such a thing existed. Legolas had, at first, been his friend, someone who offered him comfort through his loneliness. That friendship had developed, much to his surprise, into something akin to what he had had with Celebrian. And yet Legolas did not demand anything from him. In fact, the prince had been utterly selfless in his devotion to the lonely Elven lord, asking for nothing in return. When Elrond had needed him he had been there despite the enormous pressure from Thranduil to keep his distance. He had gone out of his way to keep Elrond out of the line of fire with regards to the king of Mirkwood, never letting his father even attempt to get near to the Lord of Imladris, despite the fact that it had clearly put a phenomenal amount of pressure on him and that he suffered greatly from his father's wrath over his choice.

Then he had suffered the ultimate punishment from his father – who Elrond knew that Legolas absolutely worshipped – being thrown from the kingdom he loved and abandoned by people he adored. And yet never once did Legolas regret his decision to stand by his love. Elrond knew that Thranduil had given him an ultimatum when he had discovered that he was pregnant with Elrond's child: get rid of the baby and stay with his people or keep the child and become and exile. Yet, despite his devotion to his realm, Legolas had chosen exile over a life without his love. He had suffered disappointment beyond imagining, being rejected by people he considered friends and the constant uncertainty of what would happen when he did reach his second home.

Legolas has sacrificed his entire life for his love. And for the first time, Elrond realised how utterly selfish he had been compared to Legolas. What had he really sacrificed for their relationship? Nothing notable. Maybe his pride had been dented a little when he had heard the first complaints from his citizens when they had announced their relationship but compared to losing everything you ever cared about for a little pride was nothing.

Opening his eyes at this startling revelation, Elrond sat up straight. Even now, he sat in comfort as Legolas laid in bed, still suffering from the pain of the birth. He had given nothing substantial to this relationship but had taken everything from Legolas. In what possible way could that be perceived as fair?

Suddenly, Elrond looked to the bedroom door, still firmly closed – a solid divide between the couple. Elrond remembered a few months ago asking if Legolas was happy in Imladris with his current situation and it suddenly occurred to him that the younger Elf had never really answered him and he had just let it go; he'd never pushed for an answer.

Standing up, Elrond went back into the bedroom to find Legolas asleep in bed, turned away from the door but only half covered by the sheets. He walked over to the bed so he could look into Legolas' pale face, relaxed in his dreams. Even now, over a month after his brutal labours, Legolas still did not look entirely well. He probably would never be fully well again. Elrond ran the backs of his fingers over Legolas' cheek. The prince didn't even stir under the touch as he once would have, completely lost to the world of Elven dreams.

Blinking back tears, Elrond went to his side of bed and climbed under the sheets. For a moment, he laid just watching Legolas' slow breathing. After a while though he gently shuffled closer so he was pressed against Legolas' back and placed his arm around him; as it should have been. His fingers ran through soft, golden hair, being careful not to wake the prince – he'd already confessed to being tired. Nuzzling his face into a smooth, warm neck, Elrond tearfully whispered, "I love you so much."

**OIOI**

Wailing woke Elrond up from a sleep he couldn't remember falling into but he shoved the noise from his mind and concentrated on the warm body he was pressed against. Legolas, however, could not ignore the noise. His eyes fluttered open and went to sit up, only to find a pair of arms locked around him, pinning him to the bed and preventing him from getting up.

In no mood to indulge Elrond's needs, the blonde Elf pried the arms from around himself and shuffled out of bed. The Elven lord seemed to remain sound asleep so Legolas went into the nursery to tend to Aldarion. Sitting down in the rocking chair, Legolas fed his son, revelling in the feeling of simply being a parent and not having to worry about anything else. He wanted – _needed_ – simplicity right then. He honestly didn't know how much more complication he could handle. Too much had happened already. Had he not been through enough? He was just tired. He wanted to simply settle down with the person he loved and his baby and live a normal, peaceful life. Other couples managed it, so why was it so difficult for him? It seemed that every time one thing had been resolved something else popped up. Although he supposed that this particular complication was of his own doing. Why had he even mentioned that stupid, stupid conversation with Arwen? He'd made her promise to keep it quiet and yet he had gone and blurted it out to Elrond. Of course he knew all about Celebrian and that Elrond would never bond with another and yet that had not silenced him.

Leaning his head back, Legolas closed his eyes tiredly, keeping up his rhythmic rocking as it soothed him just as much as it did Aldarion. Tears leaked from his eyes and ran down his face as he tried to push aside that terrible nagging discontent in his stomach. Normally, on the rare occasion that he and Elrond quarrelled, Legolas would have simply returned home. Granted, he wouldn't have found comfort from his father but at least Thranduil would have always been there and would still love him no matter what. But now that had all changed and suddenly Legolas felt very alone in the world.

When Aldarion protested softly, Legolas looked down and pulled the bottle back to discover it was empty. Sighing softly, Legolas whispered, "What am I going to do, penneth?" Aldarion's only response was a huge yawn, oblivious to his father's despair. Blinking tears from his eyes, Legolas carried his son back to his cot and settled him down, all the while crying softly to himself.

Going back to his own bed felt like too much of a challenge so the young Elf sat back down in the rocking chair, propping his elbow on the arm and rocking himself gently, thankfully that the beautifully carved wood didn't make any sound on the carpeted floor so it wouldn't wake Aldarion. In the darkness and silence of the nursery, Legolas cried quietly for everything his life had become, for everything he had lost.

Sunlight streamed onto the bed, waking Elrond from his sleep. He was lying on his front in the middle of the bed with his arms spread out clutching the sheets. Lifting his head, Elrond realised blearily that the prince was not there and from the chill of the sheets he hadn't been there for some time. Elrond dragged himself up and looked around the room to find Legolas was no longer in there. He shoved the covers aside and climbed out of bed, going straight towards the nursery.

As he suspected, Legolas was in the baby's room but not in the way Elrond had expected. The prince was virtually sprawled in the rocking chair at a rather odd angle as if he had slipped down some time in the night. He did appear to be sound asleep though and Elrond had little desire to disturb him. So, he crept over to the crib to check that Aldarion was all right then backed out of the room. Closing the door behind him, Elrond leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.

At least he had some comfort – his work. He quickly dressed in his robes, gathered his papers and hurried out of the door to retreat to his office. Glorfindel and Erestor would soon drown his mind in Imladrian political matters and for a while at least he would be able to think about something other than Legolas and their increasingly complex relationship.

"Good morning, my Lord," Erestor chimed from his place stood at Elrond's desk organising everything for the day.

"Is it?" the lord grumbled, throwing his own papers on the edge of the desk and pushing past his Major Domo to sit down in his chair.

Looking down, Erestor asked carefully, "Is everything all right, my Lord?"

"Fine," Elrond replied shortly, grabbing at the first document laid out for him to sign. "Where is Glorfindel?"

"Uh, he's not here yet, sir."

"Where is he then?"

"My lord, it is too early for him to be here, he's not due in for another two hours," Erestor replied rather cautiously.

Elrond slammed the paper down on the desk so hard that it startled the other Elf. "Am I here, Erestor?" he demanded. Before Erestor could reply, Elrond shouted, "Yes, I am. And if I'm here then so should he be." Erestor opened his mouth to speak again but Elrond yelled, "Go! Get him here right now. Go!"

"Yes, my Lord," Erestor said softly, bowing to Elrond as he backed out, sensing that today was not the day to mess with his lord. He rushed off to wake Glorfindel, deciding that facing the Elda's wrath at being woken in the early morning was better than trying to negotiate with an annoyed Elrond. He didn't know what had made his lord so upset but he wasn't about to ask.

Thirty minutes later, a pristine-looking yet inwardly annoyed Glorfindel was stood before Elrond's desk, firmly to attention. "You summoned me, my Lord," Glorfindel said stiffly.

"I need your report on the guard rotations," Elrond told him, not looking up from his work.

"I don't have it, my Lord."

At this, Elrond did look up. "Excuse me?"

"I said I don't have it yet, my Lord," Glorfindel repeated boldly.

"Why not?"

"Because, my Lord, it is Saturday."

"And?"

"And you asked that the report be ready by the end of next week. I don't have it yet because is not yet completed."

"That's not good enough!" Elrond shouted, banding the desk with his palm.

Unlike Erestor, Glorfindel didn't so much as flinch at the sharp noise. He stood tall and not at all intimidated by the powerful ruler of Imladris. As Erestor fidgeted nervously in the corner, always disliking being on the receiving end of his lord's anger, Glorfindel stared at Elrond as he returned to reading his papers. "Erestor, I believe one of the horse masters needed to speak with you this morning. Can you go and see to it, please?" Glorfindel said quietly, ignoring Elrond for the time being.

"Yes sir," Erestor nodded gratefully, already rushing to the door to escape the office, leaving the seneschal to deal with the Lord of Imladris.

The second the door closed, Glorfindel rounded on the furious Elven Lord. "All right, what is this about?" he demanded firmly. "I know for damn certain it's not about a guard report." Elrond pointedly ignored him, his eyes fixed on his work. "Elrond, look at me." Brown eyes flickered up to meet Glorfindel and he sat back in his chair. "What is wrong? Did you have a bad night with Aldarion?"

"No," Elrond answered shortly.

"Then what?" Glorfindel asked, sitting down opposite Elrond.

"Did I give you permission to sit?" Elrond grumbled.

Glorfindel sighed. "It's six thirty in the morning; I'm tired, I'm sitting. If it is not Aldarion then it can only be the prince. What happened? Did you have an argument?"

"That is none of your business," Elrond snapped angrily.

"It becomes my business when you are blustering through Imladris, burying yourself in your work, scaring Erestor half to death and waking me at a ridiculous hour of the day. So, tell me what happened."

Giving in, Elrond sighed and leaned forward, propping his elbows on the desk. "Legolas wants to…get married."

"To you?"

"Of course to me! Who else would he bond with?" Elrond drawled sarcastically.

"He actually asked you?"

"Yes."

"He said, 'Elrond, will you bond with me'?"

"Well…"

"He didn't say that?"

"Not exactly…"

"But he definitely told you he wanted to bond with you? Unquestionably?"

"I…"

"What exactly did he say then?"

Elrond thought back to the night before. Actually, Legolas had not said anything demanding to get married. "Well, he…he mentioned…"

"Mentioned? Merely mentioned in passing?"

"Arwen had been talking to him."

"I see. So he mentioned that she had mentioned marriage? He didn't actually ask you to bond with him then?"

"No. I…"

"Completely overreacted to something small and ended up upsetting Legolas and now you're hiding out in here instead of facing him because you know that it was your fault that last night you ended up sleeping alone," Glorfindel stated certainly and it was confirmed as Elrond lowered his eyes and dipped his head. "Mellon nin, go back and apologise for whatever dumb thing you said and make up with the prince."

"It's not as simple as that."

"Then at least talk to him about bonding. Even if it's not an actual possibility."

"He's not happy," Elrond interrupted, his voice quiet but thick with tears.

"What?"

"Legolas. He's not happy in Imladris." Tears slid down his cheeks as he said this. "He's not happy."

Suddenly, Glorfindel's demeanour changed from severe to concerned. "He said that? Legolas told you that he wasn't happy in Rivendell?"

"A while ago I asked him – he never answered," Elrond said quietly. "He's not happy, Glorfindel."

"Mellon nin," Glorfindel whispered softly.

Elrond buried his face in his hands in despair. "I've tried so hard, Glorfindel. I thought that once he had settled in to the rhythm of Rivendell he would be all right." He shook his head. "I can't stand the thought that he would rather be with that traitor he calls a father."

"Don't do that to yourself, Elrond. Thranduil is Legolas' father. You know his love for his father despite all his…faults. Don't try to compete for his affections."

"He would rather be in Mirkwood than with me," Elrond said, looking up at his seneschal.

"No. He is here with you, Elrond. He could have chosen to stay in Mirkwood but he didn't, he came here to you. And he loves you."

"I know."

"He wouldn't have stayed here if he didn't. You know that the prince never does anything he doesn't want to."

Elrond nodded but said, "He has given everything, Glorfindel. His life was…He's lost so much."

"But he has gained much too. He has you and a beautiful baby boy," Glorfindel encouraged, trying to lift his lord's mood. "Don't underestimate that."

"Sometimes when I look into his eyes I can't help but think that…it's not enough. I don't want to lose him, Glorfindel. And lately I feel like I'm losing him," Elrond admitted to his oldest friend. Until now, he hadn't even realised that he felt this way but the admission was a revelation.

"Mellon nin, you are not losing him. He loves you. I can see that." Elrond nodded, wiping away the tears that had dampened his cheeks. "Don't give up on him. After everything that happened, I don't think Legolas could survive losing you too and honestly I don't think you could either."

"I know that. I don't want to lose him."

"Then don't."

Elrond chuckled cheerlessly. "Simple as that?"

"Of course it's not simple. It'll take work. But if you want it to work you have to put the effort in. You have to talk to him. And if he is unhappy…well then, you do everything within your power to put it right. Because he is too important to lose, Elrond."

"I know," Elrond said softly. "I know."

**To Be Continued…**


	30. Scares

Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****If you don't know it by now…well…**

**OIOI**

**A/N: Please review. They have been dwindling and I would like to know that more than a handful of people are reading this. If you are still with me, thank you so much and I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 30 ~ Scares**

**OIOI**

Glorfindel tapped on the door to his lord's rooms, not wanting to disturb Legolas and Aldarion if they were still asleep. However, a soft voice called, "Enter," so he opened the door and peered inside to find Legolas sitting alone on the couch eating from a bowl of what Glorfindel presumed was porridge for his breakfast.

"Sorry to interrupt your breakfast. I…"

"Shh," Legolas warned, swallowing his honey-sweetened porridge quickly. "Aldarion's still asleep."

"Sorry," Glorfindel whispered, stepping closer so he could speak more softly. "You're letting him sleep in?"

"He was up a couple of times last night. I thought it best to leave him this morning."

"May I?" Glorfindel gestured to the chair and Legolas nodded his permission. "With all due respect, it looks like you had a hard night too."

Legolas looked up from eating his breakfast, meeting blue eyes, which he now realised were shining in concern. "I'm fine," he answered, downing another spoonful of porridge.

Glorfindel looked the prince over but couldn't really see the loneliness Elrond mentioned, but then he supposed that Legolas would not allow himself to appear vulnerable in front of someone he didn't know all that well. He opened his mouth to explain his reason for asking but Aldarion piped up at that moment, demanding that whoever was nearest to him feed him his breakfast.

Legolas sighed and laid his half-empty bowl on the table. "Excuse me," he smiled to Glorfindel, who nodded as the young Elf went into the nursery. Glorfindel heard Legolas saying something to his son and then the crying stopped as Legolas, obviously cradling the baby, one-handedly prepared his milk. He appeared a moment later with Aldarion held in one arm and feeding him with the other hand. Unlike before, it looked so easy to Glorfindel; the prince really had taken to being a parent and it suited him. "Sorry, Glorfindel, you were saying," Legolas prompted, taking his seat again.

"I just wanted to check that…" He paused suddenly, now feeling unsure as to whether to continue or not. Elrond had not had any objection to him speaking to Legolas; in fact, he had encouraged it. Now though, Glorfindel couldn't help but wonder if it was really his place. However, he couldn't stop now that he has started.

"Check?" Legolas prompted, glancing up from his son.

"Yes. Check on you. Make sure everything was all right with you."

"Well, I could use a magic formula to stop Aldarion crying and waking me just moments after I fall asleep but I suppose that that is asking a little too much even from you, Captain," Legolas smiled gently.

"I'm afraid so. But I meant more about your…living situation."

"My living situation?" Legolas echoed with a frown.

"Yes. Here in Rivendell. Are you…comfortable here?"

"Comfortable?" Legolas asked and Glorfindel nodded gently, waiting for an answer. "Yes. I have everything I need here: a roof over my head and a bed to sleep in."

"Actually, I meant more…about your…Excuse me, my Lord, this is slightly awkward." Legolas cocked his head to the side in question but remained silent and waited for the seneschal to continue. "Are you happy here, Legolas? Happy living in Rivendell?"

"Of course," Legolas said without hesitation.

"Then you like the way things have turned out?"

This time, Legolas considered the question for a moment. "Well, I would like more sleep at night but there's nothing you can do about that. And…well, the pain isn't so good either but that's more Elrond's territory. But apart from that…" He shrugged gently and returned his gaze to the baby.

"And what about…Lord Elrond?" Glorfindel asked cautiously.

"Elrond? What about Elrond?"

"Are you and he…all right?"

"Of course. Why would you even ask that?"

"I…It was just…"

"Has Elrond said something? Did he…?" He stopped abruptly when he realised what that sympathetic look in Glorfindel's eyes actually meant. "He told you about last night, didn't he?" Legolas said softly and his suspicion was confirmed when Glorfindel glanced away. Legolas shook his head firmly, his features tightening with anger. "He had no right to do that! It was a private conversation!" the young prince shouted, oblivious it seemed to Aldarion, who had stopped his suckling to look at the far more interesting conversation that was going on around him. "I wish I had never started this stupid bonding nonsense. It was simply a discussion with Arwen, it was never meant to go any further," the Elf continued in a softer voice.

"I didn't mean to embarrass you, sir."

"I'm not embarrassed, Captain. I just want this to be over."

"What?" Glorfindel exclaimed, leaping up from his seat. "You can't seriously be thinking of ending it all over this…?"

"Wait. End what?"

"Elrond…"

"I just meant that I wish none of this bonding nonsense had ever been started. I only mentioned it in passing, that's all," he said softly.

"Do you want to get married?"

"That is none of your business," Legolas ground out. Deciding that he wanted nothing more to do with this conversation, the young Elf also stood from his chair and immediately went to the nursery. "Close the door on your way out," he said before retreating.

Considering himself dismissed, Glorfindel headed out of the room, wishing he had remained with Elrond instead of venturing into Legolas' territory. At least he could predict Elrond's thoughts somewhat, if only through years of experience, but to him Legolas had always been above him in station and had only stayed in Rivendell for short periods of time, never long enough to get to know him properly. By all accounts, Legolas should have been like his father – cold and aloof to outsiders – but really he was far from it. Years of being raised in Mirkwood's court had not dampened the young prince's fiery, passionate, adventurous spirit. Unlike many of his people, who preferred isolation from other Elves, Legolas had always been curious, wanting to explore the world and meet the people who lived on Arda. That had not always gone down well with his father, who always preferred to keep his only son within the stronghold of his palace. When Legolas had told Thranduil that he wished to spend more time in Imladris, the king had been reluctant to grant him the time off from Mirkwood and not just for personal reasons but professional ones too. Mirkwood remained a dangerous place to live and Legolas had guarded it well, leading Orc and Spider raids through the forest, risking his own life for the safety of his people. Over the years he and his soldiers had made a considerable dent in Mirkwood's enemies and Thranduil was truthfully dependant on his son for that continued protection.

To Glorfindel, who valued his peaceful and relatively simple life in Rivendell, the young prince of Mirkwood was terribly complicated and increasingly indecipherable. For the time being, he decided to leave Legolas alone and let Elrond sort it out himself. Besides, it really wasn't his place to get involved.

**OIOI**

Elrond remained at his desk most of the day with Glorfindel in the office next door, working in silence. Clearly, his lord was better off on his own that day so Glorfindel kept his distance, only going into Elrond's office once to give him more papers. All in all, it had been quite a day, with most people having the good sense to avoid Elrond when he was in that foul mood.

The peace was shattered when Glorfindel heard a door slam open and footsteps hurry down the corridor toward the offices all muffled by the echoing cry of a baby. Glorfindel shot out of his chair and threw his door open to look down the corridor. He nearly crashed right into Legolas, who was running down the passage with a screaming Aldarion.

"Prince Legolas, what…?

"Where's Elrond?" Legolas demanded in a hurry, clearly scared.

"In his office." Glorfindel immediately guided him the short distance down the hall, banging on Elrond's door but not waiting for a reply before pushing the door open and letting Legolas pass.

"What's going on?" Elrond asked firmly, looking up. His face softened when he noticed the screaming baby and distraught Legolas. "Legolas? What's wrong?"

"He won't stop crying and he has a fever," Legolas said, his voice shaking slightly. "I tried to feed him just now but he couldn't keep anything down and he won't settle, I've tried everything. Elrond, I just know something's wrong."

"All right, let me see." Both rushed towards one another, oblivious to the seneschal in the doorway, and met in the middle of the office. Elrond gently touched Aldarion's cheeks, wincing when he felt just how hot his son was. It was all the more worrying because he was only dressed in thin clothing so he was definitely not simply overheated. "Ai, he is hot," Elrond confirmed in concern. "Let's get him to the healing halls."

"What's wrong with him?" Legolas asked, already leaving the room.

"I don't know yet."

As they burst into the healing halls, Legolas trailing close behind the Elven Lord, Elrond gestured to the nearest bed and with Aldarion in his arms, Legolas sat down. Elrond immediately started doing a proper examination. Carefully, they removed the tiny clothing as Elrond went over every inch of their son, gently poking and prodding with immense care.

"I can't see anything seriously wrong but he is obviously hot. I suspect it's an infection of some kind. As a baby Arwen suffered a lot of them. Elflings are not immune as Elven adults are."

"But he'll be all right?" Legolas asked nervously.

"I want to keep a close eye on that fever and make sure no new symptoms occur in the next few hours. A bath might help lower that fever. And I'm going to give him something to help and ease any pain. Don't worry, it's very mild, it won't do him any harm," Elrond assured, noting Legolas' panicked look. He went to the apothecary table and started mixing together the said medication, checking and double-checking the dosage, not taking any chances when it came to his son. He tipped the small amount onto a spoon and carried it effortlessly over to Legolas, who was trying to soothe his son by rocking him gently and shushing him.

"Here you go, penneth, take this, ion nin."

Very slowly, he tipped the medicine in a bit at a time, making sure Aldarion swallowed it on reflex so he didn't choke accidentally.

"We'll have to give him this every hour until his fever abates," Elrond said, stroking his son's soft brown hair. "Let's get him back to his own bed; he might settle a bit more there." He helped Legolas stand up then walked them to the door. Unsurprisingly, Glorfindel remained outside the healing room door, waiting for news of Rivendell's newest arrival. "I need you to handle everything else for the rest of the day. I need to be with Aldarion."

"Of course, my Lord, consider it done."

Before the seneschal could say anything else, Elrond swept past him with Legolas in his wake, leaving the Elda standing alone in the corridor. Elrond didn't have time to appease his advisor right then; he was too busy worrying about his son. As it should be.

Elrond opened the doors to their chambers for Legolas and followed him inside, closing the door gently behind him.

"I'll make him up a bath; hopefully it'll help with his temperature," Elrond said distractedly, going into the bathroom without waiting for a response from his partner. Meanwhile, Legolas continued to try to calm his still screaming baby despite already knowing it would have no effect as he had already tried everything he could think of. Even so, the wailing was distressing and he didn't want to have to listen to it if he could help it but more importantly he didn't want to see his child suffer any further.

He waited until Elrond returned with the baby's tub of water then gently pulled the blanket from around his son despite squeals of protest. Elrond helped him carefully lower the screaming baby down into the tepid water. The crying increased in pitch and volume, making Legolas wince but Elrond remained concentrating on Aldarion rather than on his partner.

As Legolas' hands held the baby up in the shallow water, Elrond scooped the water over his smooth skin, speaking softly to him as he did. Clearly annoyed, Aldarion kicked at the water, splashing at Legolas' tunic as if objecting to this simple procedure.

"Shh, penneth," Legolas soothed as Aldarion started flailing his clenched fists as well.

"He's all right," Elrond assured when he noticed the glint of worry in Legolas' eyes. "He's just complaining because the water probably feels colder than it actually is with his fever." Legolas nodded, swallowing down his pain at seeing his son in this state. After a few more minutes, Elrond nodded his satisfaction and said, "All right, I think that's long enough." As Legolas lifted Aldarion out of the tub, Elrond handed him a towel, in which he wrapped the dripping wet baby. Unconcerned about the dampness on his tunic, Legolas carried his baby into the nursery.

"Shh, it's over, ion nin," Legolas soothed, bouncing his baby up and down in his arms. This action did nothing to calm Aldarion, so Legolas carefully dried his son off and wrapped him in a soft blanket and laid him down in his crib with the hope that he would fall asleep and get away from his pain. "Sleep, penneth, please. Make this easier for yourself," he said softly as he drew the drapes to dim the sunlight in the room. It didn't help though and a few minutes later Legolas found himself with the baby in his arms once more. He tried rocking in the chair, which actually worked for a minute but then the crying started again and he was forced to try another tactic.

An hour later Elrond summoned him back to the lounge and they fought to get the diluted medicine into the crying baby once more before again placing him in a fresh bath of lukewarm water. This time, Aldarion knew what was coming and he didn't like it one bit, protesting loudly at the procedure no matter how gently his parents were at handling him.

Finally, Aldarion did fall asleep, albeit a restless one and Legolas and Elrond were able to slip from the room. The prince went straight over to the couch and flopped tiredly down gracelessly. It was nearing evening and after spending all day on his feet he was exhausted. For the first time in hours he savoured the blissful silence. It was broken, however, a moment later by the sound of Elrond clearing up the room around him.

"Do you have to do that now?" Legolas asked wearily.

"When do you suggest I do it?" the Elven Lord snapped, his temper and patience thin.

"How about when I'm looking after our son?"

Elrond stood up straight, dropping the towels he was holding, and strode to the door. "Fine."

"Where are you going?" Legolas called softly after him, sitting forward on the couch.

"To the office. I'll be back within the hour…for Aldarion." Before Legolas could respond to the cold reply, the door had closed. Mercifully, Elrond remembered that the baby was sleeping in the next room and had enough self-control to refrain from slamming the door although in Legolas' mind he might as well have done. The gap that he had unwittingly created between them the night before seemed to be widening. With a sigh, he leaned back and closed his eyes, this time in despair.

Just as he felt the tension begin to drain from his body though, Aldarion started his screaming again and he had to push himself up and go back to him. As hard as things became between he and Elrond at least he would always have Aldarion. That was what mattered.

At nearly midnight, Elrond stepped back into his rooms quietly, although he supposed it was unnecessary given that the baby had not settled once. He had been back every hour to bathe the baby and to make certain he got his medicine and every time he entered he found a rather stressed Legolas pacing up and down the chambers still trying to soothe the baby, with very limited success.

Surprisingly, as he now entered the room it seemed relatively quiet, although Legolas was not in the lounge as he had been previously. Elrond laid his formal over robe on the back of the chair and proceeded into the nursery. As he suspected, the blonde Elf was sat in the rocking chair with Aldarion in his arms sucking on a bottle of warm milk.

Legolas looked up when he heard the rustle of robes but immediately indicated for Elrond to be quiet so he didn't disturb the baby.

Getting the distinct impression that he wasn't needed, Elrond backed out of the calm nursery, closing the door halfway behind him, and returned to the lounge.

By some miracle, Aldarion finally fell asleep but Legolas feared to move lest he disturb the few moments' peace the little Elfling could get despite his discomfort. After a whole day of single-handedly looking after the distressed baby, Legolas was hungry, thirsty and utterly exhausted. He wanted nothing more than to leave Aldarion to sleep and crawl into his own bed and fall into a deep sleep.

After a while, Legolas decided to chance that Aldarion was properly asleep and he very carefully and slowly got to his feet. It was not to be, however. The moment he gained his feet, Aldarion's eyes opened and he once more started crying. He sighed softly and once more tried to soothe his son but now that he was awake, Legolas knew that it would be nearly impossible to get him back to sleep any time soon.

Deciding that he would now ask for help from his partner, Legolas went into the lounge to find – much to his annoyance – Elrond asleep on the couch. He walked over and stood before him but Elrond didn't stir. For a moment, Legolas thought that he looked so peaceful that it seemed a shame to disturb him but then he remembered that he himself had been up and about all this time and Elrond had managed to retreat from the screaming for the main part of the day.

"Elrond?" Legolas called above the sound of the baby. Elrond stirred but didn't wake so Legolas readjusted the child to one arm and prodded the Elven lord. "Elrond, wake up!"

"What is it?" Elrond asked sleepily, his eyes clearing from his reverie.

"Can you help me with Aldarion for a minute, please?"

Sitting up and running his hand over his eyes, Elrond asked, "What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing more than before. I just need you to hold him for a moment."

"Why? Where are you going?"

"I have been stuck in the nursery most of the day and I have hardly left our son's side. Surely you can bear to hold him for a few minutes," the older Elf snapped irritably.

"What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with me, Elrond. I just want a few minutes. Is that too much to ask?" Legolas all but shouted.

"Calm down," Elrond told him, sitting up straight and running his fingers through his hair.

"Please just hold him, would you?"

"Can I just have one minute to…"

"You know what; forget it," Legolas shouted, turning on his heel and going back to the nursery, slamming the door closed behind him, much to Elrond's confusion.

Getting up from the couch, Elrond went slowly to the nursery door but found it now to be locked. Frowning, he knocked hard enough to be heard above the baby's cries. "Legolas, unlock the door if you want me to…"

"Go back to sleep," a rather bitter voice told him from inside.

Too tired to argue any further with the prince, Elrond muttered, "Fine," and went back to the lounge. For a while, he sat there trying to figure out exactly what had happened. What was wrong with him? Legolas had made a simple and perfectly reasonable request and he had completely overreacted to being asked to do what he really wanted to do anyway – hold his son. Granted, they were both tired, it had been a long and stressful day, but that was no excuse. Before, he had always been patient, especially after the birth but for some reason all of a sudden it seemed like such hard work.

After a while, Elrond went back to the nursery door but remained silent so as not to alert Legolas of his presence. The baby was no longer screeching but he obviously wasn't asleep as Elrond could hear Legolas pacing the room, the soft murmur of a lullaby drifting through the door. After a moments' hesitation, Elrond carefully pushed down the handle but found the door still to be locked. Clearly he was still not forgiven. Not wanting to disturb his son when things were quiet, Elrond stepped back and sat down on the bed. At nearly two in the morning, Elrond was exhausted and didn't even realise he'd laid down and fallen asleep once more on the large bed.

Legolas carefully cleaned his son up after another bout of vomiting, sympathy making his heart ache for his small child. He was relieved to find that Aldarion's fever had at least eased a little and he did appear more settled than he had done that afternoon. Even so, his son remained awake, demanding attention from his worn out father.

"There you go, ion nin. All better," Legolas cooed, smiling as Aldarion laughed up at him, kicking his legs against his ada. "Now all we need his some sleep." He picked Aldarion up and gently transferred him to the cot, making sure he wasn't too warm. Rather amazingly, he didn't protest this time although neither did he close his eyes to sleep but instead watched his ada hovering over him.

Slowly, Legolas retreated from the cot, hoping to make it to the door without causing another bout of crying from his son, but it was not to be. The moment he left the baby's eye-line, Aldarion started screaming again.

Sighing heavily, Legolas went back to his son and lifted him up, holding him close to his chest as he cried.

"Oh, Aldarion, please, go to sleep and let your ada rest," Legolas pleaded uselessly, as he rocked his son and went to sit down in the rocking chair.

For hours, he comforted his son, trying everything within his power to get the screaming infant to sleep or at least stop crying.

Already exhausted, the constant yelling was making his head pound and eating away at his already thin patience. He loved his son more than anything in the world and would do anything for him but that familiar feeling of being completely overwhelmed by the needs of this tiny life was starting to creep back into his mind and, fearing that the feeling would swamp him, he whispered to his son, "I think it's time to wake your other ada now."

Swallowing his pride, Legolas went into the bedroom to find Elrond fast asleep in the bed. He paused when he saw this. How could the Elven lord be resting so easily whilst Legolas and their son suffered?

Now was not the time for anger though, so Legolas stepped forwards and shook Elrond's arm a little too roughly. The Elven lord merely mumbled something unintelligible and pulled his arms away. "Elrond, wake up," Legolas demanded, shaking him again. "Please wake up, Elrond. I need you. Please."

At this, Elrond's eyes cleared and he blinked up at Legolas in the darkness. "Legolas, what are you doing? Come back to bed."

"Get up. I need you to look after Aldarion for a moment," Legolas told him sternly.

"Just put him to bed," Elrond mumbled, turning over in an attempt to go back to sleep.

"I can't. Every time I move he starts screaming again."

"Then don't move."

"I have to…Elrond, can you take him please? Just for a minute."

"Legolas, it's late…"

This was definitely the wrong thing to say as Legolas yelled, "I know it's late! I've been up all night with him. And I need you to hold him for just five minutes whilst I go to the bathroom and have a mug of tea. If that's really too much to ask then I'll go and find Glorfindel. I'm sure he'll be willing to help me."

"Alright, alright, I'm up," Elrond mumbled, pushing himself up in the bed. "Here, let me take him."

"If it's not too much trouble," Legolas muttered angrily under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just take him."

"What is wrong with you?" Elrond snapped in annoyance at his partner's tone.

"Me? You're the one lying in bed whilst our son is sick," Legolas shouted back.

"Because you locked me out of his room," Elrond countered easily.

"Because you were doing nothing to help."

"I was trying to help you, Legolas, but you wouldn't let me."

"I can't have his argument right now. Can you just hold him?"

"According to you, I'm not helpful enough for that."

Rolling his eyes, Legolas said softly after taking a steadying breath, "I didn't say that. Now, will you please take him?"

"You know I do have a realm to run," Elrond said.

"What is that supposed to mean?" the prince demanded.

"It means that I cannot attend to you all day. Sometimes I have to be in the office."

"I'm not asking you to _attend_ to me all day long. I am asking you to hold your son for just a minute…"

"I _know_ what you're asking," Elrond interrupted harshly. "I'm just telling you that I am not at your beck and call." Why on earth was he being so argumentative? He wanted to hold Aldarion and Legolas obviously needed a break and yet he couldn't stop the words spilling from his mouth.

"That's not what I…"

"I'm not a servant in your palace, Legolas."

"I never said you were a…"

"And I won't be bound to this room all day long."

There was a moment of silence before Legolas asked in a soft voice, "Bound to this room or bound to me?"

"Both," Elrond shouted.

Legolas nodded slowly. "I understand, my Lord," he said in such a small voice that it hurt Elrond to hear and even more to know that he had caused it. "I understand."

The blonde Elf turned and walked slowly back into the nursery although this time he didn't even close the door behind him, as if he believed that there was no chance that Elrond would attempt to follow him. Now alone once more in the bedroom, Elrond suddenly realised exactly what he had said and panic raced through him. With every stupid, thoughtless comment, he was pushing Legolas further away from him and he didn't want that. He wanted Legolas close to him.

Elrond scrambled out of bed and into the nursery where Legolas was stood at the window with Aldarion in his arms in silence. His body was tense but Elrond could understand that. Elrond stood in the doorway for a minute, just watching Legolas rocking Aldarion, who had started screaming loudly again. When he saw Legolas shudder slightly though, Elrond stepped forward.

"Legolas, melleth nin?" The prince stiffened further at the sound of Elrond's voice. "I…I'm sorry. I don't know what…I didn't mean any of that. I'm so sorry." Legolas didn't so much as nod at the apology so Elrond continued, "You were right. You have been looking after Aldarion all day and night without a break. That's not fair on you." Legolas tensed even further if possible but didn't respond. Elrond took another cautious step forwards. "I can take him now if you want," he offered softly.

"I can manage," Legolas lied, hating how his voice cracked with emotion.

Another couple of steps and Elrond was stood right behind Legolas. "You…you needed to use the bathroom."

Elrond stepped around so he was at Legolas' side and raised his arms to ease Aldarion away. "Let me hold him for a moment," he said softly, going to lift Aldarion away from his ada. Surprisingly, Legolas let Elrond ease him out of his arms without further protest. Once he had the baby securely, Elrond looked up and was startled to see Legolas' face wet with tears. He laid his free hand on Legolas' arm and said, "Go on and take care of yourself. I'll look after Aldarion for a while."

Although Legolas didn't speak, he nodded gently and walked slowly from the room.

How could Elrond have been so cruel to his partner? He himself would also have despaired had he been in Legolas' position.

Whilst he had Aldarion in his arms, Elrond checked him over, making sure he didn't have a fever again and was relieved to find that he was a lot better. "No fever. So what are you crying for, Aldarion? Is it just to make your father miserable?" As he rocked gently, he reminded the baby, "You do have a knack for that, you know. Always kicking in the most vulnerable places at the worst possible times. And here you are, holding your father hostage in your nursery." Aldarion watched his father in interest, pausing in his screaming for a while. "That's it. You go to sleep, ion nin. Shh."

Soon Aldarion was asleep in his arms. Elrond very carefully laid him down in his crib. "There you go, penneth," he whispered, tucking the baby blanket around him. As Aldarion settled down, Elrond very slowly and quietly backed away until he managed to reach the doorway. He stepped into the bedroom and pulled the door half closed. Sighing in relief, he then looked to the bathroom door to find it open and the room empty.

When he approached the lounge, he found Legolas sat on the couch, facing the dark fireplace. "He's asleep," Elrond said softly, closing the bedroom door behind him.

"Good." It was cold but barely above a whisper.

"His fever is all but gone. I think the medicine is finally working."

"Then he'll be all right?" Legolas asked but it was emotionless and flat and he didn't even look around at Elrond.

"I think so."

"Good."

Elrond came closer. "Are you all right?"

"Yes."

"You…feel better now?"

"Yes."

The Elven lord nodded and slowly reached the chair. He sat down, his eyes on the worryingly subdued Legolas all the time. At least the prince looked less annoyed now. Elrond sighed softly and leaned forward in his chair.

"Things seem…different lately, don't they? We haven't been getting along so well since…Anara." Legolas lifted his head but didn't speak. "I don't know why but…I want to put it right. I don't want this to fall apart. I love you too much to let this destroy us. But, Legolas, I need to know that you feel the same way because I can't do it alone." He saw Legolas shudder and heard a shaky breath being released. "If this – living here in Imladris, being with me – if it's not what you want, then…well, I don't know what. But there is nothing more important to me than your happiness. And I think if we're both honest with ourselves…you haven't been happy here for a while, right?" Another shaking breath escaped Legolas but Elrond somehow took it as a confirmation of his worst fears. He nodded softly to himself. "Well, at least we know now," he said. "I don't know how this happened…I really…I really don't. Is this what you want? Am _I_ what you want?"

"Yes," Legolas said instantly, finally looking up from where he had been staring at his hands. "Yes, of course."

"I don't want you to stay with me simply because you can't go home. I want you to _want_ to be here."

"I do."

"That's a start, I suppose." Legolas went back to staring at his hands, tears falling down his face once more. Elrond moved to sit on the couch beside the prince and implored, "Talk to me, Legolas. We have always been able to talk about everything. This is no different. Tell me what I can do, please."

"I don't know," Legolas said in a small voice, wiping away his tears.

"You don't know?" He was not unkind as he asked the question. He just wanted to understand. "I know you have been in pain. I have been trying to help but I can review your medicines if it will help; make you more comfortable. And I don't like it that you're still here on your own with Aldarion a lot of the time. We are going to see about finding a nurse to help you out. At least then you'll have some help when I'm not there." He was surprised to find that Legolas had none of his previous objections. He took Legolas' hand and held it tightly. "If you're not happy, I want to do whatever I can to make it better." Elrond reached up and tenderly tucked long blonde hair behind Legolas' ear. "I love you too much to see you upset." He wiped away a crystalline tear as it fell.

"I don't want to marry you, Elrond. Last night…I didn't mean…"

A small smile graced Elrond's face. "I think we should just put all that behind us and concentrate on the future. How does that sound?"

"Good," Legolas smiled back. Surprisingly, he leaned into Elrond, resting his head against the strong chest as he was engulfed in familiar arms. "I'm tired," he sighed.

"Then come to bed. Have you eaten anything today?" Legolas shook his head, his eyes already closed. "I'll get you something to eat whilst you get washed up and change your clothes." The prince didn't move so Elrond nudged him gently and he reluctantly sat up. "Go on and I'll make you something to eat."

"I wouldn't bother; it's nearly breakfast anyway," Legolas yawned.

"It is?" The prince nodded. "Well then, I'll get you some breakfast." Elrond kissed Legolas' forehead and stood up, helping the young prince to stand as well. "Go get cleaned up."

Elrond went straight to the kitchens to find his love some food. Walking amongst the startled kitchen staff who was preparing for the day ahead, Elrond gathered up a plate of fruit, all things he knew Legolas would like.

"Is there anything I can help you with, sir?" one of the chefs asked.

"No, thank you." He continued to make a breakfast for them both, then quickly walked back to their rooms. He found Legolas now in clean clothes just coming out of the bathroom. "I brought you breakfast," Elrond smiled at him.

"Thank you."

"Sit down and eat," Elrond instructed, handing Legolas the plate. It didn't take long for the young blonde to clear the platter of fruits, showing Elrond just how hungry he had been. "Now I want you to sleep," he told Legolas as he took away the empty plate.

"There is hardly any point. It'll be dawn in an hour or two."

"Then sleep for an hour or two," Elrond said, pulling the bed covers back. "Come, lie down."

"But Aldarion…"

"He's asleep right now and I'll keep an eye on him. Go on, sleep. You're exhausted." Legolas laid down on the bed and let Elrond drag the sheets up over him. He had to admit that he was tired and it felt good to be off his feet after the long day he had had. Elrond's hands smoothed out the sheets then stroked Legolas' hair from his face. "Rest, melleth nin," Elrond said, although it was unnecessary as Legolas' eyes had already slipped closed and he had drifted off into a much-needed sleep.

**To Be Continued…**


	31. Perks Of The Job

Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****If you don't know it by now…well…**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Enjoy the chapter.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 31 ~ Perks of the Job**

**OIOI**

Elrond woke to late morning daylight. Stretching out his arms and legs, he realised he must have fallen asleep sometime after Legolas had. Looking down, he found Legolas sound asleep in the bed next to him, completely undisturbed by the sunlight bathing him. Elrond reached down and brushed silken hair out of Legolas' face but the prince didn't so much as stir. It was hardly surprising; he was clearly exhausted. With a smile, Elrond carefully slipped off the bed and padded into the nursery to check on Aldarion. The baby was still resting in his crib so Elrond crept back out. It seemed that both the people he loved were at peace now after their long night.

After he had draped an extra blanket over Legolas so he was comfortable, Elrond went into the lounge and sat down at his desk with a heavy sigh. As always, there were several piles of papers for him to work through. Today was supposed to be a busy day and he was surprised that Glorfindel or Erestor hadn't already been by to prod him towards the office. However, Glorfindel did know that Aldarion was ill so perhaps he didn't want to disturb the family, which Elrond appreciated. Now though he got up and went to the door and told a startled maid who was merely passing by to summon the seneschal immediately. There were things he needed to discuss with the Elda.

Moments later, Glorfindel arrived, knocking softly on the door. Elrond opened it to a bowing Elf.

"You summoned me, my Lord?"

"Yes. I need you to put together a list of reliable people to look after Aldarion."

"You want a nurse?" Glorfindel asked in confusion.

"Yes. I want every one of them completely and thoroughly checked over. I don't want anyone in here who might be a risk to my son."

"Of course, sir."

"I want a list of five people on my desk by the end of the week. Legolas and I will choose one person from that list."

"Yes, my Lord." He watched as Elrond shuffled a pile of papers then put them to one side. "Sir, may I ask how Aldarion is?"

"We had a…difficult night. But he looks better this morning."

"I'm glad to hear that." Glorfindel watched his lord for a moment, then hesitantly asked, "And Prince Legolas?"

"He's asleep," Elrond replied simply, not looking up from his desk. "Glorfindel, I need to take some time off."

"How much time, my Lord?"

"A couple of weeks. Maybe longer. I know it's a lot to ask…"

"Consider it done," the seneschal said instantly.

At this, Elrond did look up sharply. "Just like that?" he asked cautiously. "No lectures on office management or reminders of Rivendell's lord's duties?"

"No. Erestor and I have had a plan ready for a while in order for you to take some time off," Glorfindel confessed shamelessly.

"What?"

"Ever since Legolas came to Imladris we have had a contingency plan in the office. We supposed you might want it sometime during the prince's pregnancy. After Aldarion and Anara, we expected you to take some more time off so we prepared for your absence," Glorfindel explained. "Take your time, Elrond. Look after Legolas and take care of that baby of yours."

"Thank you, mellon nin," Elrond smiled gently at his thoughtfulness.

"I will have some lunch sent up for you. And I'll start work on getting you those names."

"I want only the best, Captain."

"I understand, sir."

Elrond nodded his dismissal and Glorfindel backed from the room in silence. He guessed that Legolas was asleep in the next room and didn't want to disturb him. He supposed that the young Elf had been up most of the night with Aldarion and was sleeping in late. When he left, he went straight to Erestor's office, pleased to find that the major domo was at his desk. The dark-haired Elf looked up when Glorfindel tapped on the door.

"Lord Elrond is taking a couple of weeks off," the seneschal told him bluntly, knowing he wasn't really interested in small talk whilst he was working and liked to get straight to the point.

"Just like that?" Erestor asked, standing slowly.

"Yes, just like that. I know it's short notice but that's the way it is so we'll just have to muddle through without him and work through it all ourselves."

Erestor sighed and glanced down at the organised chaos of his desk. "Very well."

"Good." Glorfindel went to leave but then turned back. "Erestor, this is important to Elrond; I want to make this as easy as possible for him. He has ruled this realm well; let's not let him down now."

"Yes sir, I understand."

"Oh, and I'll need a list of all your staff. Lord Elrond is looking for someone to help take care of Aldarion."

"You'll have it by the end of the day."

"Thank you." With that, Glorfindel went to the kitchens to organise lunch for his lord. Later he would have to have a quiet word with Elladan, Elrohir and Arwen, let them know that their help over the next couple of weeks would be invaluable. He knew they wouldn't mind helping. Elladan in particular seemed to enjoy being in his father's office and helping out with the paperwork and filing and Glorfindel knew that Erestor greatly appreciated it when he stopped by. Elrohir preferred being outdoors and often went into the town to see how smoothly things were running, which Glorfindel was also pleased for. Arwen was better at dealing with people but she had already taken on more responsibilities since she had returned from her last visit from Lothlorien a few months ago and Glorfindel didn't want to ask too much more of her.

He was certain though that all three children would want to help out their father.

**OIOI**

Elrond spent most of the day at his desk, quietly working through his papers. At lunch, he had looked in on Legolas but had decided against waking him; he looked too peaceful. Elrond had checked in on Aldarion several times too but the baby remained peaceful, only waking once wanting to be fed, which Elrond did in the nursery so he didn't wake Legolas in the next room.

It was nearly three in the afternoon when the bedroom door opened revealing a sleepy-looking Legolas. Elrond looked up in surprise but then smiled, laying his pen down on the desk. "Did you sleep well?"

Legolas nodded and said, "Yes, thank you." He walked to the couch and perched on the arm. "I was hoping that these past few days had just been a nightmare but I suppose that is wishful thinking."

"I suppose so," Elrond agreed softly but then he smiled gently and held out his hand for Legolas to take. For a brief moment, he saw Legolas hesitate but then the prince gracefully stood up and went to his partner. Once their hands connected, Elrond pulled his prince close, making Legolas chuckled softly in surprise. For a moment, Elrond just looked up at his love in awe. "What did I do to deserve you?" he whispered, moving his hands to Legolas' waist then running them across a still slightly rounded stomach but he pulled back suddenly when he felt Legolas flinch slightly. "Does that hurt?" he asked with a frown.

"A little," Legolas confessed but he took Elrond's hands, which remained hovering uncertainly in mid-air, and replaced them against his body, an invitation to continue with whatever he had been planning to do next.

This time, Elrond's hands were a little more hesitant. They ghosted over the shapely abdomen, taking in every exquisite line. Slowly, his hands then moved around Legolas' sides and came to rest on the small of his back. He then gently pulled Legolas even closer to himself, his own arms wrapped around him. With the prince's soft, warm body pressed against him, Elrond laid his head against Legolas' stomach, closing his eyes with a sigh. Legolas' hands tentatively came to rest on Elrond's back rather awkwardly.

"I wish it had been me," Elrond said so quietly it was barely audible.

"What?" the blonde Elf asked, looking down.

Elrond raised his head to meet Legolas' eyes. "I wish it had been me who had to go through all this. I wish you didn't have to suffer so much."

A small smile graced Legolas' face and his fingers worked through dark hair soothingly. "No matter what happens between us, I don't regret it. I'll never regret it. I love Aldarion with all my heart, as I would have loved Anara. I don't regret any of the discomfort, or what happened with my father, or the pain or the birth or the consequences of those things. And I don't regret those nights with you. Not a single one of them."

"You really mean that?" Elrond asked with almost painful uncertainty.

"Yes, I really mean it."

Elrond replaced his head against Legolas and smiled. "I love you."

"Me too."

After a few minutes, Elrond pulled back. "You missed lunch earlier, can I get you something? I could go to the kitchens, make you something." He smoothed over Legolas' wrinkled night-shirt. "Or you could wait for dinner; we could eat with the rest of the family, or just the two of us; it's up to you."

Legolas smiled softly and said, "Elrond, stop. You don't have to wait on me hand and foot."

"I want you to be happy. And if that means that I have to wait on you all day and all night then I am willing to do that. Perhaps things can never be as they once were – too much has happened for that – but I have to believe that this will work. When my wife left, my life felt so utterly empty. I couldn't stand to lose you too."

"You won't," Legolas insisted. "You won't."

"How can you be so certain?"

"Because I feel the same way. I need you too; not a home or the protection of Imladris, but _you_."

"I've…I've never given you anything," Elrond said in a soft voice.

"What do you mean?"

"Legolas, you risked your father's wrath for me, you gave up your home, your family, your people; you risked your own life to give me our children. You did all that for me and I have given up nothing for you. Even when…when we first met, it was you who left your kingdom to come to me. And don't say it doesn't matter because it does. I know – I've always known – how much your home meant to you. You gave it all up for me and…it just doesn't seem fair."

The blonde Elf watched Elrond for a moment. "Elrond, I chose you. You didn't force me into doing anything. I chose to visit Imladris. And Elrond, I chose to come here. My father gave me the option of staying in Mirkwood. I chose to stay here and I chose to have my children and I do not regret it for even one second. I won't deny that leaving Mirkwood was…just about the hardest thing I've ever done or that I miss my father more than I ever thought possible. But it is done, and I don't regret it."

"How could you not?"

"Because I have you and I have Aldarion."

"And that's enough for you? Honestly."

The fact that Legolas hesitated and looked away from Elrond's gaze told him that for all his good intentions, he was not entirely sure of his decision. When he answered though, he sounded sincere.

"Yes, it's enough."

"But?" Elrond prompted him to continue.

"It's not…ideal but…it's enough."

"Not ideal," Elrond echoed softly.

"Elrond, I want to be here, I really do. I want to be with you and Aldarion. I wouldn't change what I have for the world."

A soft smile crossed Elrond's lips at this and he pulled Legolas close again. "I am glad to hear that."

"You have sacrificed things for me too, you know," Legolas reminded him.

"Like what?" Elrond scoffed.

"You risked my father's wrath; that takes courage," the prince told him truthfully.

"I suppose."

There was a genuinely relaxed silence between them, during which Elrond just rested against his love, savouring the close feeling he thought had been absent from their relationship in recent weeks. Legolas' hands, meanwhile, merely rested against Elrond's back, letting him remain close.

"Don't ever leave me, melleth nin," Elrond whispered into Legolas' shirt.

The prince laughed softly and assured, "I won't."

"Good." Elrond once more pulled back but this time he stood up slowly, his hands never once leaving the young blonde Elf. "Aldarion is still asleep. I think his sickness and all that crying wore him out."

"How is he today? Does he still have a fever?" Legolas asked in concern.

"He's doing much better. Just tired, I think." He looked Legolas up and down and smiled. "And so are you, melleth nin."

"I feel better now," Legolas told him easily.

"No, you looked after him all day yesterday and all night. Today I want you to rest." Once more tentatively, the Elven lord leaned in and pressed a soft kiss onto Legolas' lips. For a second the prince didn't respond, he just stood stiffly before him. However, he quickly found himself melting into the Elven lord's embrace and returning the affections. There was no urgency in it. Legolas did not feel the same kind of searing passion as he had done just a couple of days ago when he had been imagining the older Elf's deft hands on his body. This was about love. They moved into each other's arms until their bodies were pressed together. Elrond's arms tightened around the young prince and remained that way even when they pulled apart. Legolas laid his head on his partner's shoulder, his own arms around Elrond's firm form. "Come back to bed," Elrond encouraged gently, pulling back, taking Legolas' hand and leading him back to the bedroom.

"I've been asleep most of the day," the prince practically whined.

"Then just lay in bed and rest whilst I get you something to eat," Elrond insisted, easing Legolas to sit down on the bed and rearranging the sheets over the prince's legs even though he was still sat on the edge of the bed.

"I can wait for dinner," Legolas told him with a smile.

"I can make you a snack in the meantime."

Elrond went to move away but Legolas snatched his sleeve and pulled him back so he stumbled back and ended up sat awkwardly on the edge of the bed beside the blonde Elf.

"Stay here with me."

"You're not hungry?"

"I can wait for dinner," Legolas repeated. "Lay with me for a while before Aldarion wakes up and starts crying again."

"Are you…?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Legolas laughed gently. "Lay down with me, melleth nin." Almost shyly, he added, "I have missed being close to you."

Elrond smiled at this confession and had to agree. He too had missed the closeness they had enjoyed during the years before the pregnancy. He nodded in acceptance and nudged Legolas over. The prince smiled and lifted his legs up before shuffling backwards so he could lie down. Elrond joined him, pulling the covers over them both so they were comfortable in bed even though it was still daylight out. They moved together, wrapping their arms around each other once more so that they remained close. Legolas sighed in contentment and nuzzled his head against Elrond's partially exposed neck. Elrond worked deft fingers through golden silken hair, revelling in the new-found freedom of their relationship. Buried beneath the warm covers and enveloped securely in a familiar embrace, Legolas found himself dozing off again despite his earlier protests that he wasn't tired.

For the first time in over a year, things felt normal once more.

With Aldarion asleep and quiet in the next room, it felt just as it had before he had last left Imladris – just him and Elrond. Of course, he wouldn't change their situation for anything. He loved Aldarion completely, as he knew Elrond also did. He did miss his old life though. He missed the simplicity of it all. Back then he could simply travel to Imladris and spend time with Elrond. The busy Elven lord always managed to clear his schedule whenever he visited, devoting as much time as possible to the prince. Not that he at all minded his new responsibilities but he did miss his past duties. Everything seemed so impossibly complicated now. Nothing felt quite the same. He had known it would all change the moment the dour Mirkwood healer had announced his 'affliction' before his father. He could have chosen the simpler route. He could have stayed at home, taken the herbs the healer had suggested and simply ended it all and even Elrond would have been none the wiser. Certainly, it would have been painful – both emotionally and physically – to lose the baby or babies but he had been given that option nonetheless.

Of course in reality he could never have done it. As someone who valued life so highly, he could never kill his children. He supposed that somewhere in his heart Thranduil also knew his unfailingly compassionate son would never accept his solution and Legolas wondered whether even the king could have done it in the end. Thranduil was many things but he was not heartless. Like his son, he knew just how precious life was. Legolas knew really that Thranduil's reaction had stemmed from fear and anger, not from any genuine malice. That did not prevent him from lashing out and banishing his only son and heir from his kingdom. Unfortunately, if Legolas wanted to keep his children he had to put up with his father's impulsiveness. It was a sacrifice he had to make and truthfully he had made it willingly if it meant becoming a father himself.

Right now, curled up in bed in Elrond's arms, everything seemed worth it. He would have given anything to have his father in the next room, for him to have met Anara before she had passed from the world and be able to hold his grandson now. It would make their family complete. Truthfully, Legolas didn't hold out much hope of that happening when Thranduil finally arrived in Imladris. More likely, it would only involve a lot of shouting, accusations and the eventual abandonment of his grandchild.

All that was still to come though. For the moment, all he had was Elrond and Aldarion and he was content with that. He knew that no matter what happened with his father, he'd always have his Imladrian family.

**OIOI**

"Good morning, sir."

"Morning, Elena," Elrond smiled, looking up from where he had laid his papers out on his desk and drinking his tea. "He woke several times last night so he's probably going to be fussy today."

"Yes, my Lord."

"Prince Legolas is still in bed, please try not to disturb him; although you might have to wake him around lunchtime and remind him to eat something."

"No need; I'm up," Legolas said from the bedroom doorway.

Immediately, Elrond's attention shifted to the blonde Elf. He placed his mug down and strode over to the prince. "I didn't wake you, did I? I tried to be quiet," he said in concern.

"No. Good morning, Elena."

"Good morning, Your Highness," the young, raven-haired nurse bowed low, her cheeks flushing red under Legolas' kind blue gaze. "I'll go and check on Aldarion."

Elrond watched as she edged past them, her grey eyes fixed on the ground coyly. He waited until she had closed the nursery door behind her then laughed softly. "You get a bow. Even I don't get a bow and I'm her commander." Legolas smiled, moving past his love and into the lounge. "I think she has a little crush on you, 'Prince Legolas'," Elrond grinned, clearly enjoying this.

Legolas, however, looked up sharply in surprise. "What?" He looked to the nursery door and whispered, "You're not serious."

The Elven lord shrugged nonchalantly, going back to his desk and retrieving his mug so he could hide the smile of amusement at Legolas' utter disbelief. "No, of course not." He paused for effect then continued, "She gets nervous whenever you enter the room, she blushes furiously under your gaze, she starts with the 'Your Highness' then bats her eyelashes, goes all shy and coy then leaves the room all a-fluster. But you're right, I'm sure it's nothing."

"What do…? She…" Legolas looked over his shoulder at the door.

"It is nothing to be embarrassed about, melleth nin. When you first came to Imladris in your adulthood, I had exactly the same reaction to you," Elrond said seriously. "You really are beautiful, Legolas. And personally, I think you're most attractive in your nightclothes with ruffled hair."

Unfortunately, this tipped Legolas off to the fact that Elrond was teasing him. "Very funny." The prince quirked a smile at Elrond, who openly laughed at his love's indignation. "Have your fun then," Legolas mumbled.

Elrond walked over to him and pulled him close. "I am sorry, my love. I just couldn't resist," he laughed, pressing a kiss onto Legolas' forehead, pleased to see a reluctant smile tugging at Legolas' lips. "It was just too good an opportunity to pass up."

"Well, don't do it again. Elena has only been working for us for a month and she's good with Aldarion. Try not to scare her off. Please."

"I wouldn't," Elrond grinned. "Besides, I don't think she'll want to go anywhere; not while you're in the room anyway."

"Shut up," Legolas laughed softly, pressing a kiss onto a surprised Elrond's lips. He then straightened out Elrond's robe collar and reminded him, "Don't you have to go to the office? Glorfindel will be banging on the door any moment."

"I know, I know; I'm going." He returned to his desk and grabbed his papers, quickly downing the remainder of his tea. "I'll be in meetings all morning but this afternoon I have to go out to the town. I'll try and get home early if I can. In the meantime, I want you to rest. You were up last night so try to get some more sleep; let Elena look after Aldarion, all right?"

"Yes."

"Promise me you'll rest."

"I promise," Legolas smiled gently. He had every intention of going straight back to bed once he had said goodbye to Elrond. "Now go; before Glorfindel and Erestor storm the room."

"As you command, _Your Highness_," Elrond teased, backing out of the room before he got on the receiving end of Legolas' glare. Elrond was still smiling as he threw open the door to his office. The playful teasing had well and truly returned to their relationship and it had loosened the tension. It had made things much easier and things had definitely improved between them in the past month. It wasn't exactly perfect as before but it was better. Perhaps they had needed that complete breakdown in their partnership to put it right.

Once the door had closed behind Elrond, Legolas turned to go back to his bedroom but then thought twice and self-consciously did up two of the top buttons of his nightshirt, glad that Elrond was not there to witness it and mercilessly mock him for it. He smiled to himself at his own stupidity for being drawn into Elrond's teasing and went into the nursery where Elena was sat in the rocking chair watching over Aldarion. She leapt to her feet, brushing down her dress when he entered.

"Your Highness," she bowed low.

Legolas smiled and held up his hand. "Please call me Legolas. 'Your Highness' sounds so formal in Imladris." A bright smile lit up her face and she nodded. "Lord Elrond commanded that I return to bed and I fear his wrath should I disobey. Are you all right looking after Aldarion?"

"Of course, Your…Legolas," she said, blushing deep red.

"Wake me if you need anything." He looked her up and down before smiling kindly and turning to leave.

"Shout if you need anything…Legolas," she chimed after him.

"I will," Legolas said rather indifferently, casting a final glance at his sleeping son then leaving Elena to smile after him, suddenly unbelievably glad for her job. Sitting with Legolas all day and getting to look after his child was a task that all maids in Imladris wished for. It had not escaped their notice that the young prince of Mirkwood was an attractive prospect. He always had been. Of course, he was always unobtainable to pretty much everyone but that didn't stop them from admiring him from afar.

Most of those swooning maidens preferred to see the prince when he was engaged in one of the many balls and parties he used to attend when he visited Imladris. They liked to see him as the vision of perfection; dressed in Mirkwood green finery and smiling politely at his hosts, but Elena preferred to see him in private when he looked more natural. Wearing loose-fitting, often rumpled nightclothes, his hair slightly out of place, his whole body less ridged and poised; to her it was far more alluring than when he was trying so hard.

She held a privileged position within Imladris; getting to witness her lord out of the public arena. In her eyes though, Elrond had always been rigidly formal whether in public or private and that perception had not changed in the month she had spent working for him. In her presence at least he remained the Lord of Imladris and never strayed into being just normal Elrond. Perhaps, she mused, they were one and the same. If that was the case then she couldn't understand what Legolas saw in him. He was a prince of one of the three great Elven realms and a powerful person in his own right so he didn't need Elrond for the title or power. Now, of course, he was tied to her lord by their child. Despite that though, Elena felt that the handsome and ever-pleasant prince deserved better. It was no secret in Imladris that the couple were no longer as close as they once were and Legolas deserved to be loved unconditionally despite whatever crime he may have committed in his homeland. Elrond did not appreciate him, Elena thought as she crept from the nursery.

She had intended to quietly slip through the bedroom and spend the rest of the morning in the lounge, distracting herself from thinking on her future life with Prince Legolas. However, almost instinctively, her eyes were drawn to the bed where Legolas lay sprawled out only half covered by the sheets. He had partially opened the drapes so the room was filled with brilliant sunlight, making it feel warm despite the coldness of autumn outside. The shaft of sunlight partially fell on the sleeping Elf and even in dreams he seemed to bask in its warmth. Dressed in his loose, white nightclothes, Legolas was laid on his back, his long legs stretched out, bare feet sticking out from beneath the tangled sheets. His breathing was deep and even, his eyes closed to the world. Granted, the latter was a little disconcerting for an Elf but it did nothing to dampen Elena's attraction to him; she could learn to live with the oddity.

Without even realising what she was doing, Elena stepped over to the bed. There he was, within her reach for the first time. Slowly, her hand reached out and tentative fingers ran over a lock of golden hair that was spread over the pillow. She imagined him leaning into her touch, responding to it with love and passion. Her fingers ghosted over the gold-covered pillow and ever so softly brushed his warm cheek. His skin, like his hair, was exquisitely soft and sent tingles of excitement through her fingers. The sleeping prince didn't so much as stir, so she dared to move her hand slowly and carefully downwards. She traced his jaw-line then let her fingers slide down to his neck. However, she hesitated to go any further and she was right to stop there as Legolas finally stirred, shifting position and exhaling deeply in his sleep.

"Elrond…" he breathed, clearly still walking the path of Elven dreams. There was obviously some part of him that recognised the closeness of someone as he smiled slightly.

Taking this pleasant action as an invitation, Elena impulsively bent forward and pressed her lips to the prince's. She ended up knelt on the edge of the bed, although she nearly slipped when she felt Legolas return the kiss tenderly. Her hand went downwards and came to rest on Legolas' chest, slipping beneath the nightshirt and feeling the smooth skin beneath.

"Your Highness," she murmured when their lips broke apart.

Elena closed her eyes as she ran her fingers over his chest, moving steadily downwards so she didn't see him frown slightly. As her probing but gently fingers reached the waistband of his trousers and popped the top button open, Legolas' eyes snapped open and his hand shot down to grab her wrist.

The maid snapped back suddenly, her eyes wide in surprise. "Your…"

"What do you think you're doing?" Legolas growled, glaring up at her.

"I…I'm sorry. I don't…"

Legolas looked down at himself, noting Elena's hand still hovering over his waistband. A furious blush had risen to her cheeks at being caught and Legolas could feel her trembling. He pulled her hand back firmly and said in a low, dangerous voice, "Get off of me."

She instantly scrambled off the bed and somehow managed to keep her feet. "I'm so sorry," she gasped in shock, the reality of what she had just done suddenly sinking in.

Legolas sat up, self-consciously looking himself over to check that the nanny had not seen anything she shouldn't have. Fortunately, besides a few buttons open, he remained dressed. Even so, anger bubbled inside of him at being made so vulnerable.

Elena was already making for the door when Legolas' cold voice commanded, "Stay where you are." She stopped, then slowly turned back around to face him. He threw the covers back and got out of bed, doing up the open buttons of his shirt and the one on his trousers, his eyes never leaving the young maiden before him. "Do you want to explain yourself?" he asked tersely, although it was obviously more an order than an invitation.

She bowed her head and muttered, "I'm sorry…"

"What?" he snapped. "Speak up."

"I said…I'm…I'm so sorry. I don't know what came…came over me."

"You are a member of Imladris' staff but you work for me. Considering I am your employer you have stepped way over the line."

"Yes sir."

"What on earth compelled you to…?" He cut himself off, unable to find the words. "By all rights I should tell Elrond about this and have him fire you." Tears pooled in Elena's grey eyes and she nodded. For some reason, sympathy washed over Legolas and his face softened slightly. "However, seeing as there was no harm done, I think we can let it slide just this once."

Elena looked up hopefully, tears slipping down her cheeks. "Thank you, Your Highness," she stuttered, still trembling.

"But this will never happen again, right?"

"No, sir, absolutely not."

"One more indiscretion, no matter how small, and I will be forced to take action. You will come in the morning and see to Aldarion and you will be polite but not forward. And you are not to come into this room whilst I am sleeping. Is that all clear?"

"Yes, Your Highness. I understand," she said quickly.

"Good." He sighed heavily. "Very well, we won't mention this again. But if this position proves too complicated then we will have to revisit our discussion."

"It won't be a problem, Your Highness, I swear it," Elena said eagerly.

"I'm glad to hear it."

"I want to look after your son, my lord. I like my job."

"Good. And, Elena, that is your only job around here. You were appointed because both Glorfindel and Erestor recommended you; please do not disappoint them or us. I need to have someone I can trust looking after my son."

"You can trust me, sir."

"I hope so."

"Sir, may I…? You aren't going to tell Lord Erestor about this, are you?"

Legolas considered this for a moment, although he already knew the answer. This incident was as embarrassing for him as it was for her and he had no desire to have it spread throughout Imladris and he certainly didn't want it getting back to Elrond, especially given his teasing that morning. Even so, it seemed only right that he make her squirm a little.

Eventually though, he decided to end her suffering and responded, "No." She sighed in relief but then looked up again when Legolas continued, "On one condition: You don't mention this to Lord Elrond either. It is better if the whole thing stays between us."

"I would like that too, sir."

"Good. Now, get back to work."

"Thank you, sir."

Legolas nodded so she bowed and returned to the nursery, nearly collapsing back against the door once she'd closed it. Honestly, she had no idea what had come over her in those moments. Even now, her face burned in embarrassment at her complete lack of self-control. Her only comfort was that news of this would not be spread around her home. The private shame of this was bad enough without it becoming public knowledge to be mercilessly mocked. Tears pricked at her eyes but she blinked them back. If she wanted to keep her job then she had to behave properly and she did want to remain near Aldarion. Over the past month, she had grown to love the little baby and enjoy spending time with him and Prince Legolas and even Lord Elrond.

The prince himself, collapsed back on the bed, deep in thought. When he and Elrond had chosen Elena from the list that Glorfindel and Erestor had complied, they had been so certain that it would work out, that she would be perfect for the task of caring for their baby and get on well with her employers. Now though it seemed that they had been too quick in offering her the position. Certainly, she was good with the baby, which Legolas supposed was all that really mattered. Aldarion was the truly important one.

Legolas closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself before he stood up again, casting a cautious glance at the nursery door as he walked to the bathroom. Despite the long night and not getting any sleep that morning, Legolas didn't think he would be able to relax again so he might as well get up.

For the first time in a long while, he locked the bathroom door behind him in case Elena accidentally – or on purpose – walked in on him. He quickly washed and dressed then went to open all the doors so the maids could tidy up and make the bed. As they went about their usual chores, Legolas took Aldarion in his arms, letting a subdued Elena take a break whilst he fed his son. When Elrond had told him that they were definitely hiring a nurse, Legolas had agreed only on the condition that he still spend as much time as possible with Aldarion. Someone else would only take over when he was indisposed or unable to care for him himself. That way he could be with his son as well as getting the rest he needed.

"Sir, can I bring you anything from the kitchens?" Elena asked as Legolas sat down in the lounge with Aldarion in his arms.

"No, thank you, Elena." She bowed and went to leave but he called her back wearily. "Wait, you had better ask the maids to bring some food, whatever's available, just in case Lord Elrond asks."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"And some tea," Legolas smiled.

"Of course, sir. I'll be back soon," Elena said, attempting a smile and at least partially succeeding. She supposed that things would be awkward between them for a while; they would both just have to live with that. She went straight to the kitchens and took her time in picking out food for the prince. Although it wasn't her job, she very often took on the task of bringing Legolas his breakfast or lunch, whichever he was awake for and she enjoyed it; making sure he had what he needed. Today she picked out his favourite things and brewed the tea to perfection. It was a little towards making up for that morning but at least it was something.

**To Be Continued…**


	32. Punishments And Forgiveness

Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****If you don't know it by now…well…**

**OIOI**

**A/N: Hello, thank you for all your reviews. I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. I know I am loving writing it, which is something at least!**

**Next chapter…**

**Chapter 32 ~ Punishments And Forgiveness**

**OIOI**

It was mid-afternoon before Aldarion settled down for his daily nap and Elena insisted on putting him to bed. She had been unwaveringly attentive that day, jumping to respond to Legolas' every request. Legolas assumed that she just wanted to keep busy and prove herself a good maid, presumably so she wouldn't get fired.

By the time Elena had put Aldarion down to sleep and returned to the lounge, Legolas had fallen asleep on the couch. She stepped over and laid a blanket carefully over him so as not to wake him then crept back into the nursery. It was probably not a good idea to be in the same room as the prince whilst he slept right then given what had happened so far that day.

A loud bang – to his ears at least – woke Legolas. Truthfully, he couldn't even remember falling asleep. He opened his eyes to find Elrond rushing towards him.

"What…?" the prince started to ask.

"Shh," Elrond urged, reaching him and laying his hand on the prince's arm. "I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep," he encouraged gently, almost desperately, no doubt guilty for the disturbance.

Despite the reassurance, Legolas pushed himself up straight, shoving away the blanket and only briefly wondering who had put it there in the first place. "Elrond? What are you doing here?" he asked, running his hands down his face.

"I got finished a little early. I was trying to be quiet but…" Elrond shrugged helplessly, sinking down into the chair opposite. "How was your day?" he asked with a sigh.

"Interesting," Legolas answered vaguely. "Where is Elena?"

"I sent her home. Aldarion is asleep but he was certainly crying well a minute ago," Elrond chuckled, remembering his son's demanding screams. "I was surprised that you managed to sleep this afternoon. Did you not get much rest this morning?"

Choosing his words carefully, Legolas said, "It was…disturbed."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Perhaps an early night is in order."

Legolas shook his head. "I feel better now," he smiled.

"Good. I think we should leave Aldarion to sleep off his grumpiness then go and get some dinner. Did you eat something at lunch?" Elrond asked, standing and going to his desk.

At least Legolas could answer that truthfully and he was thankful that he had remembered to eat something. "Yes. Elena and I had lunch together." He looked up sharply to take in Elrond's expression at the choice of words but then remembered that he hadn't told the older Elf about her indiscretion that morning so of course Elrond wouldn't respond. Nevertheless, he corrected himself. "That is, we had lunch in here…at the same time."

"Good. You must eat properly even if you sometimes don't feel like it," Elrond told him, clearly distracted and mercifully oblivious to Legolas' stumbling.

"I know," the prince said, getting up and stretching out his aching limbs. He really hated falling asleep on the couch or in the chair; his body always seemed to protest at his thoughtlessness. "Would you mind if I took a bath before dinner?" he asked Elrond as he passed him.

"Of course not. Take your time. The twins are still at the borders and Arwen is visiting friends so it is just us tonight," Elrond smiled over at him before turning back to his work.

"Right." Legolas went to set his bath running and then quickly peered around the door of the nursery to look in on Aldarion but the baby was still sleeping soundly in his crib so Legolas stepped silently from the room so as not to disturb his son. He returned to the bathroom where he turned the water off and shrugged out of his clothes then stepped into the deep, warm water. This was always his favourite time of the day – when he relaxed back into a warm bath and let the water soothe away all his aches and pains. He floated in blissful silence, laid back in the water and closed his eyes. Despite the fact that his senses should have been heightened in his relaxed state, he did not hear the door open or the soft footsteps padding across the bathroom floor. In fact, he didn't even realise he was no longer alone until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

After the events of that morning it was hardly surprising that Legolas startled at the touch, spilling water over the sides of the tub in his alarm. His eyes instantly snapped open in shock but he relaxed when he realised that it was only Elrond and not another visit from the confused Elena.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Elrond soothed, removing his hand.

"You didn't _scare _me. You _startled_ me," Legolas corrected, quickly getting a grip on himself.

"Well, I am sorry all the same, my love."

"What are you doing in here?"

A small smile crossed Elrond's face as he replaced his hand against Legolas' pale, wet skin. "There was a time when you liked me in here with you. In fact, if I am not mistaken," Elrond breathed, pressing a kiss onto compliant lips, "Aldarion and Anara started their lives in this place." Legolas smiled, remembering that night, the final one they would have together before Legolas would have to return to Mirkwood once more. It had indeed started out in this room but had quickly moved to the bedroom, as it so often used to in those past days.

"I remember," Legolas smiled softly.

"I thought you might," Elrond leaned forward so he could better reach Legolas' waiting lips. Locked in passion, Elrond very nearly slipped into the water due to his lack of concentration. Only when his elbow dipped into the warm water did he pull back with a chuckle. "Perhaps we should move this into the next room," Elrond suggested breathlessly, fingers still brushing soft, wet skin.

"I agree," Legolas said, equally huskily, already trembling slightly in anticipation. It had been a long time since he had been touched in that way and now he realised that his body craved for the attention.

As Elrond stood back, Legolas pulled himself up out of the bath. Just as he placed his feet on the floor and moved into Elrond's waiting arms though they were interrupted by a sharp knock at the living room door, which was closely followed by Aldarion crying as he was woken by the noise. Groaning softly in annoyance, Legolas went to pull away but Elrond dragged him back, pulling his love up against him despite the fact the prince's body was still dripping wet.

"Ignore it," Elrond breathed, trailing kisses down Legolas' neck and making the prince tremble.

"No. Aldarion…"

"He'll be fine," the Elven lord said even as another knock came from the lounge.

Legolas smiled and pulled back from his partner. "You get the door and I'll see to Aldarion."

"Fine. But be quick. Please," Elrond said, rushing for the door whilst Legolas pulled on a dressing gown. Taking a moment to compose himself, Elrond threw the door open to see who had disturbed him and Legolas. "What?" Elrond snapped dangerously at a rather startled-looking Erestor.

"Excuse me, sir, but you are needed…"

"No," Elrond said simply, going to shut the door on the major domo.

Erestor put his arm out to stop him and continued, "I am sorry, my Lord, but the Gondorian ambassadors and the guards are here and they would like to speak with you about the Human prisoners."

"I trust you to make them comfortable."

"My Lord, they were most insistent that they meet with you."

"It is night-time, Erestor, they can wait until morning," Elrond told him sternly.

"They said they wished to speak to you tonight and then wanted to see the prisoners, so…"

"Is this the contingency from Gondor?" Legolas asked, stepping up beside Elrond with Aldarion cradled in his arms.

Unfazed by the fact that Legolas wore nothing but a dressing gown tied at the waist, Erestor nodded. "Yes, Your Highness. They want to meet with Lord Elrond."

Legolas nodded thoughtfully. He had not forgotten about Allun and Corvell who had remained under guard in secure rooms in the House far away from the prince and baby. In all this time, Legolas had not once met the men who had tried to assassinate him and had taken his child from him. A couple of times he had wanted to but Elrond had always wisely held him back. But the traitors had never left Legolas' thoughts. They had been waiting for weeks for the Gondorian ambassador and Human guards to come to Rivendell to collect the prisoners for trial.

"It can wait until morning," Elrond said softly, taking in his partner's sudden change of mood.

Legolas shook his head softly, breaking out of his thoughts. "No, it's all right. Go and sort the ambassador out. I'll be here with Aldarion," he said reassuringly to Elrond.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. Go see to the Humans. We can talk later."

All his attention now on the prince, Elrond nodded. "All right. Erestor, get Elena back here and see to it that dinner is served in these rooms." The major domo bowed and stepped back to give the couple some privacy. "I will be back soon. Hopefully this will not take too long."

"We'll be fine."

"All right. Elena will be here soon. I want you to rest tonight. Don't wait up for me if I'm late."

"I won't," Legolas lied easily.

"See you soon," Elrond said softly, placing a kiss on Legolas' forehead. He had to drag himself away from the prince and out the door, not because of his previous needs – although that tempting thought still played on his mind – but because standing there in the doorway in his robe, hair still damp from his bath and with their son in his arms, Legolas looked so achingly vulnerable. It escaped Elrond's mind sometimes that Legolas no longer had any real power behind his redundant title and that made a big impression when Elrond looked upon him. The old Legolas, the Crown Prince of Mirkwood, would not have hesitated in facing the ambassadors of Gondor no matter what their errant and yet now Legolas looked relieved that he did not have to have any contact with the humans. So much had happened, so many things had changed for the young Elf and it made Elrond's heart ache for the loss.

Elrond followed Erestor through the corridors of his house. Truth be told, he was rather nervous about welcoming more Men into his home. After last time, it was expected that he should be cautious. He really had no idea how this new member of the Gondorian Council would react when the charges against his two colleagues were revealed. When Elrond had informed the Steward of Gondor what had been done by his two living diplomats, he had been apologetic and sympathetic in equal measure but he could not be certain that the visitors to Rivendell would be the same way.

"They are in the conference room," Erestor said softly. "Glorfindel is already inside." He pushed the doors open for his lord but didn't follow, instead going off to see to Elrond's earlier requests.

The moment Elrond entered the conference room, all eyes turned to him and he suddenly wished he had taken the time to change his robes, which he now realised were still a little damp from where Legolas had been pressed up against him.

Glorfindel stepped forward, muttering, "Thank the Valar. My Lord, this is…"

A tall, stern-looking man stepped forward, towering over both Elrond and Glorfindel even though they were only an inch or two shorter. Elrond looked him up and down, noting his dirty travelling clothes and the mud from his boots that had already muddied the floor. He cast a distasteful glance at his seneschal – it had been a long time since anyone had come before him in such a state.

"I am Tarmain, the Steward sent me," the tall man said abruptly, interrupting Glorfindel in his introduction and thrusting his hand towards Elrond in what he assumed was supposed to be a polite greeting.

Taking the proffered hand with obviously distaste, Elrond said, "Lord Elrond. We have been awaiting your arrival for some time."

"We can as fast as we could," the man said rather bitterly, snatching his hand back.

"Of course. Please, sit. I trust my staff had made you comfortable," Elrond continued diplomatically, gesturing to the long table in the centre of the room. Tarmain and his aids – all twelve of them - seated themselves at the table and Elrond took the place at the head of the table with Glorfindel on his right hand side. "I appreciate you coming all this way."

"We want to see Lord Allun and Master Corvell," Tarmain demanded without preamble.

"No doubt. Perhaps we can first discuss the charges…"

"We are aware of the charges being laid against them, as is the Steward."

"They…"

"We will be taking them back to Gondor with us. There they will face the charges and punishments decided upon by the Steward and his councillors," the man continued bluntly, startling Elrond and Glorfindel with his forwardness.

"I see. I would like to be involved in that sentencing if…"

"That won't be necessary."

Elrond was beginning to get mildly annoyed at this man's attitude. In general, people didn't talk to him in that manner and he looked over at Glorfindel, who glanced back with a raised eyebrow. "Perhaps it is not necessary but…"

"It is up to Gondor to put its own people on trial. You have no power."

"I am aware of my limitations, Ambassador," Elrond ground out. "But this was a crime committed within my kingdom, a crime committed against my family."

"We know that."

"Then surely your Steward…"

"My instructions were to come here directly and bring back Lord Allun and Corvell for trial as soon as possible."

"Yes, I understand that. Are you aware that Lord Allun was not involved in the murder/kidnapping plot?"

"Yes, the Steward is aware."

"Then there will be a certain amount of leniency in their sentencing?"

"I do not know the Steward's plans but I am sure he will judge them fairly. Now, if we can just get on with this and…" He went to stand, pushing his chair back with a loud scraping against the floor.

"Sit down. I have not dismissed you yet," Elrond commanded loudly, grabbing everyone's attention, including a startled Glorfindel. "You are in my realm now, Ambassador, and I am lord here so you will sit down, answer my questions with substantial and polite answers and start showing a little respect," Elrond shouted.

Tarmain's eyes flickered towards his staff but he lowered himself back down into his chair with a subdued, "Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, shall we discuss sentencing?" Elrond suggested, leaving no room for argument. He really was done being the amiable Lord Elrond with these people and Glorfindel was delighted to see that he was taking firm and complete control over the situation. He really did love it when his lord made full use of his power and put arrogant men in their places. He smiled softly as they settled down for a long night's negotiations.

**OIOI**

"Is there anything I can get you, Your Highness?" Elena asked gently, returning to the lounge from checking on Aldarion.

Tearing his eyes away from the crackling fire, Legolas looked up at her as if he had almost forgotten that she was in the chambers. He threw her a quick smile to cover for his lack of attention. "No, thank you, Elena."

"I could make some more tea."

Deciding it was best to give her something to do, Legolas nodded gently. "Tea sounds good."

"I'll be right back, sir." She bowed them swept from the rooms. In the three hours they had been sat together she had, mercifully, not mentioned her earlier transgression, although their silence had not exactly been easy. Her eyes never met his, clearly still embarrassed. Thankfully, Legolas didn't feel like he had to put too much thought into it given that his mind was elsewhere right then. Honestly, he was anxious about Elrond meeting with the Men from Gondor. Had it been his decision he would have locked them both up for what remained of their lives, leave them to rot whilst they considered what they had done. That was what he would have ordered had he still been in Mirkwood and he knew that Thranduil, who had no love for the race of Men anyway, would have wholeheartedly supported him. Elrond, however, was perhaps a fairer ruler than either himself or the king and he would never be so cruel, even to prisoners.

Legolas slowly stood up and walked on quiet feet into the nursery and glanced over Aldarion. He smiled gently at his sleeping son but did not go to him. Instead, he stepped over to the other crib that lay empty on the far side of the room: Anara's bed. After she had passed away, neither father had had the heart to remove the bed; it had just been too painful. So it remained in the nursery, just another part of their lives that seemed tragically misplaced. Legolas didn't normally look too closely at this empty crib. It stirred too many painful memories. Tonight though, he stepped up to it and ran his fingertips gently over the delicately carved wood and then to the neatly folded blanket. It remained in exactly the same condition as it always had and Legolas knew that it was Elrond who maintained it, making sure it continued to be a tribute to their lost daughter.

He picked up one of the soft stuffed toys from her cot. Standing there he could almost picture her lying sleeping in the nursery beside her twin brother, snuggled beneath the covers. He imagined laying her down to bed at night with his son, imagined when she got older tucking her in, telling her a story until she was able to sleep under his watchful gaze.

Since they had lost Anara, Legolas had not allowed himself to imagine what their life might have been like. It just hurt too much. He knew that Elrond often considered it, although he never openly spoke about it with his partner. However, the thought that he had almost lost Aldarion as well brought all that pain back and the thoughts flooded his mind almost against his will. Slowly, and still holding the toy, Legolas moved to sit in the lesser-used second rocking chair. Quietly, so as not to alert Aldarion of his presence, tears fell down Legolas' face. It had been a long time since he had cried for Anara, which only added to his guilt and made the tears fall faster.

A gentle knock at the door made Legolas look up and quickly swipe at the tears on his cheeks. Elena opened the door but stopped abruptly in the doorway when she saw the state Legolas was in. "Your Highness?" she asked uncertainly, clearly torn between staying to comfort him and retreating to give him some space.

"Just give me a minute, please, Elena," he said shakily, his face turned away from her.

"Yes, sir, of course." She back out of the nursery quietly, closing the door behind her, her face clearly concerned. For all their closeness over the past month, Elena had never been privy to this side of the prince. She had never seen him that emotional before. It was more than a little disconcerting.

Once the door had closed, Legolas turned his head back to Aldarion for a moment. This was not the time for this. He had more important things to worry about right then. He wiped his tears away with the sleeve of his shirt and stood up, straightening out his clothes and taking a deep breath to pull himself together. Before he left, Legolas checked on Aldarion but his son remained undisturbed by his father's plight. It was good to see the baby so peaceful though so he walked away without waking him.

Elena stood up quietly from the couch when the nursery door quietly opened. Legolas smiled weakly at her and went to sit down in the chair.

"I am so sorry, Your Highness. I didn't mean to interrupt you," she said quickly, still standing anxiously before him.

"It's all right," Legolas said, waving at her to sit back down.

"I…I brought you some tea."

"Thank you."

Hesitantly, she asked, "Shall I pour you…?"

"Yes," Legolas replied rather shortly. As she set about pouring the tea into a mug for him, he looked up at the young maiden. "I am sorry I am so distracted," he apologised, sitting forward.

"It's all right, sir," she smiled at him gently.

"I can't seem to get this meeting out of my head."

"It is getting late, perhaps you should think about going to bed," Elena said, handing him the tea.

"No, I want to stay up for Elrond."

"But I thought Lord Elrond said…"

"I won't be able to sleep anyway so I might as well wait for him to return," Legolas sighed. "But it is getting late. You can go home if you like. Aldarion's quiet and he probably won't wake up any time soon."

"I don't mind staying and keeping you company, sir," she smiled pleasantly.

"Thank you, Elena."

"Unless you would prefer to be alone?" Legolas opened his mouth to say no but was interrupted by a soft cry from the nursery. He went to stand but Elena leapt up first, saying, "Stay where you are; I'll go see to him." She smiled down at him before sweeping into the nursery, leaving Legolas alone once more.

**OIOI**

"Stupid, arrogant…" Elrond raged as he stormed through the corridors, with Glorfindel and Erestor trailing behind him. "Can you believe he had the nerve to send those ignorant…?"

"My Lord, you need to calm down," Glorfindel encouraged as Elrond slammed open the door to his office.

"Calm down? 'Just hand them over and we'll be on our way'? Whatever happened to co-operation and diplomacy? This is who the mighty Steward of Gondor sends to collect the criminals who kidnapped my son and attempted to kill my beloved? It's one ignorant person after another and I am sick of it!" the Elven Lord fumed.

"They do have a particular knack for choosing truly terrible negotiators," Erestor had to agree.

"Yes, they do," Elrond sighed heavily. "So, do I let them go then?" he asked wearily of his advisors.

"We have no real grounds to keep them here any longer," Glorfindel reasoned. "Yes, I think you must let them go."

"I figured as much," Elrond said softly, leaning back in his chair. "Make them wait a while then tell them they can take Allun and Corvell."

"Why make them wait?" Erestor asked curiously.

"Because they are rude, obnoxious inbreds…"

Erestor smiled softly. "I understand, my Lord."

"Go get some rest and come to the office late tomorrow," Glorfindel said, standing and opening the door for his lord.

"Very well. Erestor, see that the…guests are put in the quarters at the far end of the guest wing," Elrond said as he reached the door.

"But those rooms have not been prepared."

"Yes, I know."

"Thank you, my Lord," Glorfindel grinned, nodding at Erestor.

**OIOI**

When Elrond opened the door to his chambers he was surprised to find Legolas sitting in the chair, although he didn't look up upon Elrond's entrance. Elena did notice his arrival and stood up to meet him. He stepped over to her, realising that Legolas was in fact asleep.

"Aldarion is settled, my Lord," Elena informed him softly.

"Good. Thank you, Elena. You can go home now."

"Thank you, sir." She left quietly, the door clicking closed behind her.

With a soft sigh, Elrond went to Legolas and placed his hand on his arm. Immediately, the prince's eyes snapped open and he sat up straight in his chair, his attention on Elrond. "You're back," he yawned.

"Yes," Elrond confirmed, sitting on the couch opposite. "What was the last thing I told you before I left?"

"I don't remember."

"I specifically told you not to wait up for me."

"I wanted to."

"I told you not to."

"Was I not asleep when you came in?" Legolas mumbled, rubbing his stiff neck.

"You fell asleep in the chair, not in bed," Elrond pointed out.

"I know," Legolas sighed heavily. "I tried to stay up."

"Well, it is nearly four in the morning so I'm not surprised you didn't succeed."

"How did it go? Are the Gondorians going to take them?"

Elrond nodded thoughtfully. "The day after tomorrow."

"Good. Did they agree with the charges and punishments you recommended?"

"We should both get some sleep; we can talk about this in the morning."

"They didn't accept it?" Legolas pressed, unwilling to let Elrond get away with not answering the question.

Sighing, Elrond sat forward in his chair. "The man who came here was only an ambassador, he didn't have any power over the final sentencing, although he gave me his assurances that he would pass on my requests to the Steward and his people who will decide their punishments."

"You…you requested leniency?" Legolas asked quietly.

"We have discussed this already."

"They will get away with it."

"No, Legolas, they will be punished. But it is not for me to decide how or for how long. You know all this," Elrond replied in exasperation.

"But you could have recommended…"

"I will not have this argument again! It took me three hours to get them to stop yelling at me. When they did, they correctly reminded me that I had no right to keep anyone from Gondor within these borders let alone a highly-placed diplomat. I had no choice but to let them go and you know it. It wouldn't have made a blind bit of difference if I had insisted on a recommendation to the Steward, he wouldn't listen to it anyway. Now, let's go to bed." He didn't give Legolas a chance to respond before getting up and striding into the bedroom, leaving the prince sitting alone in the lounge. "Are you coming?" Elrond called from where he was stripping off his formal robes. He threw his over-robe over the back of the chair and stepped up to the door. He was more than a little surprised to find that the lounge was now empty. "Legolas?" he asked, running his hands down his face in frustration.

**OIOI**

"Prince Legolas?" a voice called from behind Legolas where he leaned against the balcony railing.

Legolas spun to face whoever had disturbed him and frowned. An elderly man stood slouched before him, leaning on a cane at his side. Legolas looked him up and down critically and said, "I know you, don't I?"

"Yes. The gardens, several months ago," the man confirmed.

"You invited me to the dinner." The man nodded in confirmation. "I remember, although I never did catch your name."

The man hesitated, shifting against his walking stick slightly. "I would have thought you of all people would have known my name." Legolas frowned at the man, wondering what the odd statement meant. This was answered a moment later when the man said softly, "I am Lord Allun."

Legolas' eyes widened and he instantly became more alert, poised to take action should it be required. "You kidnapped my son," he stated coldly.

Allun looked down at the floor, clearly prepared for the scathing accusation. "It was with great regret that I learned that my…colleagues' misjudgements caused you and the Lord of Imladris such pain but they did not do so under my instruction or even with my knowledge."

A faint smile crossed Legolas' face. "You speak like Elrond, like a politician."

"The trait of a man who has spent too many years in conference halls, I fear."

"Why? Why did you do it?"

"I don't know why they did it. I have not been allowed to speak with Corvell since…I am sorry, my Lord, I would never…" Allun had to stop to catch his breath and an obvious wince crossed his face.

"You are unwell?" Legolas asked curiously, daring to take a step forward.

"I'm fine," Allun gasped.

"Clearly you are not. Sit, I will summon a healer."

"There is no need," the old man insisted as he lowered himself into a nearby chair. "I am simply out of shape, that is all."

"You are injured."

"A parting gift from Calvain."

"The…the man who took my child," Legolas said softly.

Allun nodded but looked up as well. "May I ask a blunt question?" Legolas nodded his permission so Allun continued, "If you believe I took your son from you, then why am I still alive?" The prince looked down at him curiously, cocking his head to the side in question. "Prince Legolas, I am a father myself. I have two daughters – both fully grown now – and if I thought that someone had hurt them not all the armies in Middle Earth combined could stop me from wreaking my revenge upon those who hurt them. So why is it that Corvell and myself remain alive?"

"You are prisoners of Imladris but you are people of Gondor. We cannot dish out your punishment," Legolas said bitterly.

"No, that wouldn't matter. Grieving parents do not care for political restraints."

"Lord Elrond…"

"Do not try to deny that ever since you found out it was Men who took your son you haven't thought of a thousand different ways to kill us," Allun stated wisely.

"I will not deny it."

"Then what has been stopping you?"

Legolas considered this question for a moment, actually giving it considerable thought. "I do not wish to kill in the name of my son. Already his life has been irrevocably scarred by death; I don't want blood to be shed for him."

"Calvain is dead," Allun said bluntly. "I tried to kill him to save your son." Legolas looked up sharply, his blue eyes locked on the man. "You did not know that?"

"No. I mean, yes…Someone mentioned it," Legolas said uncertainly. He did vaguely remember Elladan or perhaps Elrohir telling him what had happened but at the time he had been too distraught to really listen.

"I don't regret it, Your Highness. That baby is an innocent, he did not deserve the pain they put him through and nor did you. I am sorry."

"You…you saved my son?"

"I tried. And I paid for my actions." His hand came to rest against his chest where Calvain's blade had pierced him. "Your son…"

"Aldarion."

Allun smiled slightly at hearing the name. "Aldarion, he deserved to live. Calvain misled Corvell into believing that it was the only way to ensure that Lord Elrond would agree to the terms of our negotiations. I have known Corvell since he was a child, he would not purposefully cause anyone pain."

"Why are you telling me this? Lord Elrond has already granted you permission to leave Imladris and I have no doubt that the Steward will be lenient in his sentence. What more do you want?"

There was a moment of silence before Allun said softly, "Forgiveness. I want your forgiveness."

"If you saved my son, then what does it matter? You will be found innocent."

"It matters to me."

"Then I am sorry to disappoint you."

Allun smiled softly, looking down to his feet. "I understand."

"Do you really?" Legolas walked over to the old man. "You said you had children. You are a father, just like me." Allun nodded slowly. "If you were in my position, would you grant forgiveness?"

"If I were in your position, Your Highness, I would have killed the perpetrators already. And no, I would not be merciful." He sat in silence, thinking about his own words before nodding to himself and pushing his aching body up, using his cane for support. "I should get back. The guards only gave me ten minutes to stretch my legs. Your Highness." He dipped his head in respect then went to the door.

"Lord Allun," Legolas called, making the old man turn around. "I have little influence here in Imladris, but I will make sure Lord Elrond sends a private messenger to Gondor advising the Steward of a light sentence."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Allun choked out after a moment of shocked silence. "May I ask why?"

"Because you saved my son's life." With that, the prince turned back to the balcony railing, clearly signalling that the conversation was over. After a slight pause, Legolas heard shuffling footsteps and the click of the cane on the floor – the sound of Allun leaving. Once more, he found himself alone although in a considerably better mood than previously. In his heart, he could never truly forgive any of the humans for taking his son away from him even if his head told him that the two survivors were not entirely guilty.

Tears pooled in Legolas' eyes but he blinked them back, unwilling to fall apart again. He was fed up with his emotions being so easily heightened these days. Pushing himself away from the railing, the prince strode purposefully through the corridors back towards his rooms. As expected, the bedroom was dark and Elrond was asleep alone in the large bed, so Legolas quietly stripped off his clothes before stepping into more comfortable night-wear. He quickly checked in on Aldarion before climbing into his own bed. For a moment, he considered waking Elrond and apologising for his abrupt exit earlier but the Elven lord looked too peaceful to disturb, so instead he snuggled down under the blankets and closed his eyes to try to sleep.

**To Be Continued…**


	33. Falling Terrified

Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****If you don't know it by now…well…**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 33 ~ Falling, Terrified**

**OIOI**

When Elrond woke early that morning he found that the bed was still empty but a quick glance around the room confirmed that the prince was indeed back, sat in the chair by the window, staring blankly out at the grey sky. Elrond sat up in bed but the rustling of the sheets did not disturb the prince.

"Good morning," Elrond said softly.

"Morning," the prince said, startled from his thoughts.

"Where did you go last night?" the older Elf continued, trying not to sound annoyed.

Without looking around, Legolas answered quietly, "I just walked around for a while." He paused before the saying, "I met Lord Allun."

Suddenly alert to the fact that Legolas had run into the man who had taken his child from him, Elrond scooted to the edge of the bed and asked in a low voice, "Legolas, what did you do?"

"I didn't do anything," Legolas replied, offended by the tone. "We just talked."

"Oh. Good. What did you talk about?"

"Do you really care?"

"I suppose not so long as you're both alive and uninjured," the Elven lord confessed. "Did you not sleep last night?" Legolas shook his head softly. "Then you should try to rest today. I have to go to work first but we can talk more later if you want."

"Sure," Legolas muttered as Elrond left the bedroom, closing the bathroom door behind him. He ran his fingers over his aching forehead then rested his head back.

"Legolas, I'm going now. Elena should be here in a while, will you be all right with Aldarion until then?" Elrond asked, coming out of the bathroom and adjusting the sleeves of his robes. "I'll try and get back early so we can…Legolas, are you even listening to me?"

"Yes," the prince said, lifting his head.

"Then what did I just say?"

"You're leaving, look after Aldarion, you'll be back early, we'll talk," Legolas repeated wearily.

"Right, I'll see you later. Get some rest." With that, Elrond was out the door and the younger Elf was left alone with his thoughts once more.

**OIOI**

Glorfindel looked up from his desk when there was a gentle tap on his door. "Come in," he invited.

"Excuse me, Lord Glorfindel. May I have a word?" Elena asked almost nervously, adjusting Aldarion in her arms carefully.

"Yes of course. Come in," Glorfindel offered, standing and gesturing to the chair opposite him. "Is everything all right, Elena?"

"I…I don't know."

Glorfindel sat down so as not to appear too intimidating before the obviously nervous maiden. "Tell me what is troubling you."

"I…Sir, I don't really know if this is my place but…It's Prince Legolas."

"What is wrong?"

"I was worried…He…I came in this morning as usual and Legolas…Prince Legolas was sitting in his chair by the bedroom window, which was odd because if he has had a bad night he usually stays in bed. I have tried to speak to him but he won't move. He looks…unwell."

Glorfindel thought for a moment before asking softly, "Have you told Elrond this?"

"No, sir. I didn't know…"

The seneschal held up his hand and smiled, "It's all right. Stay here and look after Aldarion. I'll send someone to come and get you in a while."

"Thank you, sir."

"You did the right thing in bringing this to me," he assured as he stood.

"Thank you, sir."

Glorfindel walked to the door and pulled it open, saying, "Make yourself comfortable in here. My assistant will get you whatever you need." Elena smiled her thanks but Glorfindel was already out the door and striding down the halls towards his lord's chambers. When he reached the door he paused for a moment before knocking gently. Perhaps unsurprisingly, no one answered so Glorfindel slowly opened the door, giving Legolas the chance to tell him to go away if he wanted to. No voice called out to stop him so he stepped inside and pressed the door closed behind him. As expected, Legolas was not in the lounge so the captain proceeded to the bedroom to find Legolas in exactly the position Elena had described; sat in his chair staring out at the dull grey day, still dressed in wrinkled nightclothes that he hadn't bothered to change.

"Legolas?" Glorfindel asked quietly, closing the bedroom door as well. "Are you all right?" The prince did not so much as look up, just continued staring. "Your Highness?" Glorfindel stepped forwards until he was stood beside the prince. "Legolas, are you all right?"

When the Seneschal looked down and laid his hand on Legolas' shoulder, the prince finally looked up, revealing a tired, pale face. "Glorfindel? What are you doing here?" he asked in a strained voice.

"Elena came and got me. She was worried."

"About me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Glorfindel looked the prince up and down and explained, "It is nearly two in the afternoon and you haven't moved all day. She was getting concerned about you. Are you well?"

"Of course."

"Are you certain?" The blonde Elf nodded gently but returned his gaze back to the grey valley before him. "Legolas, would you like me to fetch Elrond for you?"

"What for?"

"Because you do not look well, mellon nin."

"I'm fine, thank you."

"Can I get you anything? Some lunch or…?"

"No, thank you."

"You really should eat something." Legolas sighed heavily and turned his face away from the Elda. "I'm going to get Elrond."

"No, please don't. I'm fine, really."

"You do not look fine."

"Well, I am. You should get back to work," the prince snapped.

For a moment, Glorfindel watched the younger Elf then he held out his hand. "Come on, we need to get you up out of that chair and get you dressed." Legolas did not so much as look up at the proffered hand. "You can't sit there all day long, Legolas."

Slowly, Legolas reached out his hand and took Glorfindel's. The seneschal had to work to hide his wince at how cold the hand felt in his. He didn't immediately say anything though, deciding that it was best not to push the prince. Clearly, something was wrong but he couldn't exactly accuse Legolas of lying to him so he pulled the prince up, noting with concern how he swayed on the spot. The young Elf obediently followed Glorfindel towards the bathroom, although his footsteps were stiff and slow although he supposed that was to be expected from sitting in an uncomfortable chair all night and day.

Glorfindel quickly started the bath running then turned to the prince, who was now running his fingers carefully through his hair.

"Will you be all right in here by yourself?" the seneschal asked quietly, sincerely hoping that he wouldn't have to sit in the bathroom whilst Legolas undressed. He wasn't entirely comfortable being in the same room as a naked Legolas without Elrond also present. His lord might have trusted him completely but there was a line that should never be crossed.

"Yes," Legolas mercifully answered.

"All right. I'll leave you alone and find you some clean clothes."

"Thank you."

Glorfindel stepped out the door and pulled it closed behind him and started rifling through the drawers and closet for clean and comfortable clothes. He stopped suddenly when he heard a loud thump from the bathroom. For some reason, something didn't seem right and he felt compelled to go to the door.

Knocking gently, he called out, "Prince Legolas, are you all right?" After getting no response, he knocked once more and then slowly pushed the door open. He moved significantly faster when he found that Legolas had collapsed face-down on the bathroom floor. "Your Highness?" he exclaimed, falling to his knees next to the prince and placing his hand on Legolas' cheek but the prince was out cold.

**OIOI**

Legolas found he had to use every ounce of his already depleted strength to force his eyes open. If that initial phase was difficult, then keeping his unfocused eyes open seemed a monumental task and he moaned softly to himself when the dull orange light of the room made his aching head pound mercilessly. Immediately after, he felt a warm hand come to rest on his cheek and he moved his head tiredly to one side to see who it was only to realise that his eyelids must have fallen closed again. He managed to force them open again to find himself looking upon the blurry, candle-lit face of Lord Elrond.

"Elrond?" he croaked out, realising that his throat was painfully dry.

"Yes, melleth nin," Elrond smiled softly. "Thank the Valar you are all right."

Blinking slowly, Legolas looked up at Elrond for a moment in confusion then went to sit up only to find himself being gently eased back down. "Where…?" he attempted to ask but his foggy mind couldn't seem to form the entire question.

Luckily, Elrond understood what he was trying to ask and said softly, "You are in the healing halls, melleth nin. You collapsed, remember? Glorfindel brought you here."

"What? Where…where am I?" Legolas asked, clearly confused.

"Shh. Just rest, my love," Elrond reassured kindly. He watched as Legolas' dazed eyes closed once more and he fell back into an exhausted sleep. Truthfully, Elrond was more than a little concerned about his partner. That he had collapsed in the first place was troubling enough but it had taken nearly eight long hours for him to wake and he was clearly still extremely confused, his eyes were unfocused and he seemed confused as to what had happened and where he was. All in all, it was exceedingly worrying.

When Elrond stepped out of the healing room door, he was unsurprised to find Glorfindel waiting for him; obviously the seneschal had been pacing the corridor for a while. "How is he?" he asked when Elrond appeared.

"Sleeping again," Elrond sighed. "Where is Aldarion?"

"Arwen took him. She is going to look after him for a while."

"Good. She's in my chambers?"

"Yes, my Lord. She was going to feed Aldarion the put him to bed."

Elrond nodded. "All right, I'm going to check in on them then sit with Legolas a little longer."

"Of course, my Lord. Can I bring you anything?"

"No thank you, mellon nin. I'll need you to run the office for a while," Elrond told him as they started walking towards the lord's rooms. "I'll let you know how things turn out."

Taking that as his official dismissal, Glorfindel bowed then changed his course to return to his office as commanded whilst Elrond returned to his rooms to find his daughter sat on the couch reading a book. She looked up when the door opened then stood when she saw her father.

"Is Aldarion asleep?" he asked immediately, hugging his daughter briefly.

"Yes, he went straight to sleep. How is Legolas?"

"Asleep for now but I have to get back to him in a minute. I just wanted to make sure that you were all right here. I might not be able to get back until later."

"Of course, Ada. You should be with Legolas; he needs you most right now and I can take care of Aldarion for as long as you need," she smiled kindly, making him grateful that he and Celebrian had raised such truly amazing children.

Elrond briefly looked in on Aldarion but the baby was so peaceful he merely crept quietly out of the room. "I should get back. Send for me if you need anything or if he gets too fussy. I'll come and check on him a little later."

"We'll be fine. Go look after Legolas."

He smiled gratefully at her, pressed a kiss onto her cheek then rushed out the door and back to the prince's side. Legolas remained asleep when he returned, his breathing deep and even. Sitting forward in his chair, Elrond laid his palm against Legolas' forehead and frowned when he felt the fever that now warmed the blonde Elf. Before, it had been an insignificant thing that he hadn't worried about but by now it had grown enough in intensity to become a worry. Standing, Elrond turned the oil lamps up so the room was sufficiently lit then turned to examine the younger Elf. As before he was terribly pale, although now Elrond noticed that he was sweating more, his chest glistening with moisture. He remained peaceful though, seemingly unaware of the fever riding in him. Elrond went to the bedroom and retrieved a bowl of water and a flannel. Soaking the flannel, Elrond wrung it out then laid it on Legolas forehead, hoping to quell the fever before it became too bad, although knowing Legolas' luck recently it was bound to turn into a serious problem before long.

And, sure enough a couple of hours later Legolas' fever had risen to a serious level and the prince was beginning to notice. He had started tossing and turning in his bed, moaning softly every now and then. There was little Elrond could do but refresh the cold compress and soothe Legolas whenever he became agitated.

By some small miracle, Elrond managed to keep the fever low enough to remain safe and soon he was satisfied enough to be able to sit back in his seat and simply hold Legolas' hand.

When Legolas next woke he found he was still laid in bed, although this time when he opened his eyes it was daylight instead of candlelight that lit the room, which his fuzzy mind vaguely recognised as the healing room. His head pounded mercilessly and he felt oddly detached from reality. One thing grounding him to the room was the warm hand pressed into his own hand and he recognised merely from the touch that it was Elrond. When his eyes drifted lazily over towards the other person, he managed to process that the Elven lord was asleep at his side.

Feeling the normal aching in his stomach and back, Legolas tried to shift position. His actions immediately disturbed Elrond and his head shot up from where it had been resting on the bed. Once he had quickly blinked the sleep from his eyes, Elrond put his full attention on the other Elf.

"You're awake. How are you feeling?" Elrond asked with a small smile.

"What…?" Legolas cleared his throat, wincing when it hurt a little.

"Let me get you some water," Elrond offered, letting go of Legolas' hand and pouring cool water from the pitcher on the bedside table. "Here." Legolas went to sit up but found that his previous symptoms returned full force – his head spun, nausea rose in his throat and his body felt abnormally heavy. Immediately, Elrond abandoned the water and gently eased Legolas up but shifted the pillows so the younger Elf was propped up against them. "Take deep breaths." Eventually, the dizziness and nausea had passed enough for Legolas to sip slowly at the water Elrond handed him. "Feel better now?"

"Dizzy," Legolas said softly, handing the glass back to the waiting Elrond.

"I know. Did you feel dizzy before?"

"Before?" the prince asked, rubbing his aching head.

"You collapsed in the bathroom. Don't you remember?"

Legolas went to shake his head then thought better of it and answered verbally instead. "No. I remember Glorfindel telling me he'd being me some clean clothes, then nothing. What happened?"

"Glorfindel said you didn't look well but you insisted you were fine then he ran you a bath, left you alone for just a minute then found you out cold on the bathroom floor. He brought you straight here and sent for me. Your fever rose a little last night but you seem much better today." Legolas blinked lethargically up at him, trying to both recall what had happened to him and decipher what Elrond was telling him about whatever was plaguing him. He wasn't doing very well in processing the information and thankfully, Elrond recognised this and smiled reassuringly, laying his hand against Legolas' arm. "Don't worry about it now, my love. Just get some more rest. Lay back down," he urged, helping Legolas to shuffle down the bed. "Good. Now go back to sleep for a while. I'll be right here."

Feeling too miserable and unwell, Legolas could do nothing but let his eyes fall closed again and allow sleep to take him. Elrond waited until the younger Elf was sleeping peacefully and then quietly stood up and stepped out of the room. As much as he wanted to remain continuously at his love's side, Elrond had to check in on Aldarion and Arwen. With any luck, he would be back before Legolas woke once more.

This time when he entered his chambers, Arwen was walking up and down the lounge. "Ada, thank the Valar you're here. He won't settle."

Elrond smiled gently and strode forward, easily taking the baby who had resumed his customary screaming. "Oh, penneth, do you miss your ada?"

"Most definitely. He hasn't stopped screaming all day. Maybe you should take him to see Legolas; maybe that'll calm him a little," Arwen suggested.

Elrond shook his head, rocking the baby in his arms. "I don't want him too close to Legolas until I know exactly what is wrong with him."

"But it's not like Legolas can pass any illness onto him."

"I don't know that for certain."

"Legolas is an Elf, he can't get sick so how…?"

"He _couldn't_ get sick but after the birth he was extremely weak and I have no idea how that has affected his healing abilities. Remember how Aldarion was unwell a couple of days ago?"

"You think Legolas has the same thing?"

"I can't rule it out. Anyway, I'm not taking any chances."

Arwen nodded, sitting down with a delicate sigh. "I can understand that."

The Elven lord sat down on the couch, smiling down at his baby who had calmed down a little in his arms. "Hush now, ion nin. You are making your sister regret agreeing to take care of you."

Arwen laughed. "Never. Our Ada is wrong about that, isn't he?" she cooed to Aldarion.

"Ion nin, you are totally spoilt by all your brothers and sisters, you know that?"

Before Arwen could respond, there was an urgent knock at the door and suddenly a healer burst in without invitation. "My Lord, excuse me but you're needed. It's prince Legolas."

Right away, Elrond was up and handing Aldarion over to his daughter. "Can you…?"

"Yes, go. See to Legolas," she urged and within seconds, he was all but running out the door.

When Elrond rushed into the healing room, he found Legolas now sitting up in bed being supported by a healer as he vomited into a basin being held in front of him. In the few minutes Elrond had been gone, the prince's condition seemed to have deteriorated significantly. His light sheen of sweat had now soaked his shirt thoroughly and he was visibly trembling. Once the initial surprise had worn off, Elrond dashed forward, pushing aside another healer who was stood uselessly at the bedside.

"Legolas?" Elrond asked, gently pressing his hand against the prince's pale forehead, wincing when he felt the heat rolling off him in waves. "When did his fever rise?" he demanded of the lead healer.

"A couple of minutes ago. It went up very fast. And he just started vomiting."

"I can see that," Elrond said more softly, tenderly tucking long blonde hair behind Legolas' ear. "Make him up something to settle his stomach and for the fever." The healer nodded and immediately went off to do as ordered by his lord. Elrond, meanwhile, held out his hand to the other healer and said, "I'll take that." The healer nodded and let Elrond take the basin he'd been holding in front of Legolas. Once he'd waved away the healer, Elrond focused all his attention on his partner. "It's all right, melleth nin," he whispered kindly, laying his hand on the prince's trembling back.

Legolas leaned back into the touch, clearly trying to control his rebellious stomach. "Elrond," he croaked out, looking up with tear filled eyes.

"I'm right here. Just take slow, deep breaths," Elrond advised calmly. "It's all right." A moment later, the healer returned to the bed with the vials of medications Elrond had asked for. "Thank you," he said, taking one of the vials from his hands. "Legolas, I need you to drink this down slowly. It's going to ease your nausea. Sit up a bit." He helped the younger Elf to sit up straight carefully, handing the basin to a waiting healer and taking a clean one from him but placing it on Legolas' lap. Steadying Legolas' shaking hand, Elrond helped the prince to swallow the thick mixture, unable to help smiling at Legolas' wince of distaste. "Try to take deep breaths; that medicine should work fairly quickly," Elrond said, easing the younger Elf back to rest against the pillows.

While Elrond checked the prince's pulse at his wrist, one of the other healers helped Legolas drink the mixture to help the fever. Elrond then ordered the healers to bring him a bowl of cold water and a flannel and that everyone who wasn't absolutely needed leave the room. Being crowded with people he didn't know wasn't going to help Legolas at all.

By the time Elrond was unbuttoning Legolas' shirt fully to wash him over with cold water there was just the one healer left with the couple. With a loving tenderness, Elrond ran the cool cloth over Legolas' hot skin, starting near his neck and moving downwards. However, when he unbuttoned Legolas' nightshirt further he stopped short with a concerned frown. The wound from the birth was ever so slightly swollen and a little redder than normal. After all this time it still hadn't healed fully and clearly it was now showing signs of infection.

"Does this wound hurt, Legolas? More than usual, I mean?" Elrond asked, carefully feeling the obviously tender area.

"Yes," Legolas answered in a weary voice.

Speaking this time to the healer, Elrond said, "I think my first guess was correct. He has an infection. We need to get his fever down further and get some Athelas in him to fight that infection right away."

"Yes, my Lord," the experienced healer agreed, going off to prepare the Athelas.

"Elrond?"

"Shh. Just rest, my love. Try to sleep, you'll feel better when you wake up," Elrond smiled kindly, stroking Legolas' sweat-soaked hair back.

After a moment, Legolas' glazed blue eyes fluttered closed and he was soon sleeping again for which Elrond was grateful. His love didn't need to suffer any more than he had already. This time, Elrond settled back into the chair beside the bed, having no intention of leaving again unless he had no other choice. A while later, the other healer had prepared the Athelas drink and, carefully, Elrond eased Legolas up, saying, "Just swallow this for me, my love." The sleepy prince mumbled something unintelligible but drank obediently when the mug was placed against his lips. Elrond held the young Elf for a moment, enjoying the warm, heavy weight laid against him. It felt like ages since he had held Legolas this close and the prince had been so content with the position. However, with Legolas so unwell and clearly needing rest, Elrond gently laid the blonde Elf back against the pillows, making certain he was comfortable and could rest at ease. He then wiped Legolas' sweat-glistening face off with the cloth before laying it on his forehead in the hope that it would help with the fever.

A soft, pain-filled moaning woke Elrond from the couple of hours' reverie he had managed. Sitting up straight in his chair, he looked over to his patient. Legolas was now curled up on his side, his arm wrapped protectively around his stomach, in much the same position as he had done when carrying Aldarion and Anara. He was also still trembling slightly and occasionally shifting uncomfortably beneath the sheets.

Elrond laid his hand against Legolas' cheek and was surprised when bright blue eyes fluttered open to meet his with unusual intensity.

"Hey," Elrond smiled in greeting. "Are you in pain, melleth nin?" The younger Elf managed a small nod and his eyes slipped closed, letting tears slip from his eyes to dampen the pillow beneath his head. "Where does it hurt? Your stomach?" Elrond asked, standing up. Legolas nodded again, not bothering to look up this time. "Can I take a quick look?"

The healer gently took Legolas' arms and pried them away from his stomach, apologising when the prince whimpered slightly. He then lifted Legolas' shirt to get a look at the wound. It was no worse than before, which was something, but it was clearly causing Legolas pain and Elrond certainly didn't want that. "I'm going to give you something to make you more comfortable," Elrond reassured, replacing the shirt to cover Legolas' stomach and laying his hand comfortingly on the Elf's arm. When Legolas nodded slightly in understanding, Elrond stepped away and started to make up something for the pain, also adding more herbs for his fever and more Athelas to help with his infection.

Placing the cup on the bedside table, Elrond laid his hand on Legolas' back saying softly, "Can you sit up for me, melleth nin?" Although Legolas looked thoroughly miserable and worn out, he nodded and levered himself into a rather shaky sitting position, pleased for Elrond's support. Elrond grabbed the pillows and plumped them up against the headboard. "Sit back." Legolas laid back against the comfortable cushions with a soft moan. "All right," Elrond soothed kindly, picking up the cup and handing it to the prince. "Drink it all and it'll help with the pain."

Legolas slowly drank the mixture down until the glass was empty, having to work to keep from gagging at the terrible, bitter taste. "Horrible," he breathed.

"I know. Sorry about that. It'll work soon though," Elrond smiled, sitting on the edge of the bed and reaching for the prince's wrist to feel his pulse. "How are you feeling now?"

"Terrible," Legolas croaked, resting his aching head back and closing his eyes.

"Specifically?"

"Dizzy, cold, shaky, tired, weak, achy," Legolas reeled off his list of maladies wearily.

Sympathy flooding his voice, Elrond said, "You need to rest, my love. I think you have an infection and unfortunately the only thing that will help is plenty of bed rest. Your symptoms should start to ease off fairly soon," he explained quietly.

"Where is Aldarion?" the prince inquired tiredly, not opening his eyes.

"Arwen is looking after him."

"Can I see him?"

Elrond took Legolas' hand as he answered, "It's probably best if you keep your distance for a while. You don't want to pass anything on to him and make him sick too." Legolas mumbled something indecipherable, clearly still a little out of it. "Just go to sleep now, melleth nin. Rest." He used his free hand to pull a blanket part way over the dozing blonde Elf and brushed a lock of hair away from his pale face.

It was another two days before Legolas was able to get out of bed and then Elrond only let him walk as far as the bathroom. His fever had at last calmed although he was left feeling incredibly weak and shaky. It was only when the pain dulled and he was able to move without feeling nauseous that Elrond was convinced that the worst was over and he was allowed to return to his own chambers.

As he walked into the lounge, leaning heavily against Elrond for support, Legolas smiled at his son being held in Arwen's arms. Rather wisely, he shook his head at Arwen's offer to hand over the baby and instead walked slowly over to the couch where he gingerly sat down and leaned back.

"Are you all right?" Elrond asked in concern when he noticed how pale the prince was. Legolas just nodded in silence, not looking up but running his hand over his aching forehead. "Do you feel all right?"

This time, Legolas did look up and forced a smile onto his lips. "Just tired," he confessed quietly.

"You should go and lie down, Legolas," Arwen suggested. "I'll look after Aldarion for you."

"Thank you," the prince smiled gently, pushing himself up and accepting Elrond's held in standing. After four days stuck in bed, that morning when Elrond had announced that he could return to his own rooms, Legolas had been thrilled to be able to actually get up and walk around freely. Now that he had that option though, all he wanted to do was go back to bed and sleep. Thankfully, both Elrond and Arwen seemed to understand so he allowed himself to be led slowly into the bedroom where he sank back down on his own bed.

Elrond crouched down and pulled Legolas' slippers off then stood back up as Legolas pulled his legs up onto the bed and slipped beneath the covers.

"Get some rest. I'll be out in the lounge if you need anything," the Elven lord whispered, pressing a kiss to Legolas' pale lips. Immediately, Legolas' eyes fell closed and he drifted off to sleep. With a smile, Elrond stepped out of the room, leaving his love to get some much-needed rest.

When Legolas woke next it was to muffled screaming from the nursery. He looked around the bedroom to find that he had slept the day away and that night had fallen, although a light now burned in the nursery, which was obviously where Elrond was, tending to the baby. Legolas threw the sheets off himself and was reminded that earlier in the day he had fallen asleep in his shirt and leggings. He sat up, having to close his eyes until the dizziness subsided, then stood up, padding across the bedroom and pushing open the nursery door to find Elrond pacing up and down with Aldarion in his arms. He looked up when he heard the door open, then smiled at the prince.

"You're up," he smiled. "Did he wake you?"

"It's all right," Legolas said, smoothing his hand over his messy hair.

"I had hoped to quiet him down before he disturbed you."

"You should have woken me earlier."

Elrond smiled and shrugged gently. "You seemed so peaceful and you needed to rest."

"You let me sleep all day."

"You have been unwell, melleth nin," Elrond reasoned, laying a now much calmer Aldarion back down in his crib and tucking the soft blankets around him. Once he was certain that the baby was settled, Elrond turned back to Legolas and ushered him back into the bedroom. "How are you feeling now?"

"All right," Legolas answered around a yawn as he perched on the edge of the bed.

"Can I get anything for you? Are you hungry?"

"Not really."

"You should probably eat something," Elrond mused, sitting down next to the blonde Elf.

"I'm not hungry right now. I'll eat breakfast later," Legolas assured. "Was Aldarion all right?"

"He just needed changing, that's all. Why don't you go get changed then climb back into bed?" Elrond suggested, taking Legolas' hand gently in his own.

"I slept all day."

"And you can sleep all night too. You really do have to rest." Legolas smiled indulgently over at him then leaned slightly sideways to rest his head against Elrond's shoulder. The Elven Lord also smiled softly, wrapping one arm around Legolas' back and used the other to stroke his hand over soft golden hair.

"Thank you," Legolas whispered, closing his eyes in contentment.

"For what?"

"Taking such good care of me, even when I don't entirely deserve the kindness."

Elrond smiled again and kissed the top of Legolas' head. "You always deserve it, more than anyone else I know. Please don't ever forget that." Legolas made a non-committal sound that drew a laugh from the Elven ruler. "I think you should get into your nightclothes then come back to bed. Come on."

"All right," Legolas mumbled, sitting up straight and forcing his eyes open.

Elrond stood up with him and helped the prince change into more comfortable nightclothes. After he was changed, Legolas quickly went to the bathroom then climbed under the covers, curling up next to his partner. Within moments he was asleep again and Elrond wasn't far behind him.

The next morning, Legolas managed to stay awake long enough to eat the breakfast Elrond got for him and then fell straight back to sleep, just having time to hear that his love would be in the office for most of the day but Elena would be taking care of Aldarion for them.

Whilst Legolas slept off his illness quietly, Elrond remained in his office working through most of the morning. He was just contemplating returning to his rooms to eat lunch with Legolas when his door burst open without invitation revealing his dirty, travel-worn identical twin sons.

"You're back earlier than…" he started.

"Ada, King Thranduil is on his way here," Elrohir interrupted his father mid-greeting, clearly out of breath, indicating that they had been in a hurry to get here.

With his welcome pushed aside, Elrond was suddenly once more the serious Lord of Imladris. "How long until he gets here?"

"No more than a day we reckon. We were on the borders when he spotted him and his entourage," Elladan informed his father.

"We thought it was better to inform you than to escort them here," Elrohir continued.

"Good thinking." Elrond stood and asked his sons, "Can you get Glorfindel and Erestor for me?"

"Yes, Ada," Elrohir offered, rushing off to find his father's advisors.

Elladan, seemingly restless despite weeks of travelling, asked, "What can I do?"

"Go and get some rest. You and Elrohir must sleep."

"But…"

"I'll need you both to be on the ball when Thranduil arrives. Go and make the most of the quiet while you have the chance. Trust me, you'll both be more useful to me properly rested – especially if I need you to drag the king forcefully from Imladris, which isn't entirely out of the question."

"All right," the young Elf agreed, not quite sure if his father was being serious or merely jesting.

As he turned to leave, Elrond said, "It is good to see you, ion nin. I've missed both of you greatly."

"We missed you too, Ada," Elladan smiled before turning and leaving.

"You are making my floors dirty," Erestor grumbled with a smile as he and Glorfindel passed in the corridor on their way to Elrond's office.

"Good to see you too," Elladan laughed.

"I sent Elrohir to your rooms," Glorfindel called after him, a grin lighting his face. Really, the household was always far too dull for his tastes when the twins were away.

"Thank you."

The two senior advisors arrived at their lord's cluttered office to discover Elrond pacing back and forth in front of the window, throwing the odd glance out at the landscape.

"My Lord?" Glorfindel prompted when Elrond appeared not to notice their arrival.

Without looking at them, Elrond asked, "Did Elrohir tell you?"

"No, my Lord," the seneschal said, sharing a confused glance with Erestor.

"Thranduil is on his way. He'll be here within the next day."

"King Thranduil is here?" Erestor asked, concern flooding his voice.

"On his way. I need you to prepare rooms for him and his entourage. Make sure they are as far away from my chambers as possible."

"How about the stables?" Glorfindel grumbled bitterly. Over the past months he had come to see what effect Thranduil's abandonment had had on Legolas and for the agony he had caused his only child, Glorfindel hated the King of Mirkwood with a passion.

Elrond however, turned on them both. "Whilst King Thranduil is a guest under this roof he is to be treated with all due respect. You will treat him as you would any other visiting dignitary until ordered otherwise. This is going to be hard enough without you making things more complicated, so you will hold your tempers and your tongues, is that understood?"

"Yes, my Lord," the agreed in unison.

"Good. Now, go see that everything is prepared and get ready to greet the king," he ordered them both and they bowed and backed out of the room to do as ordered. For all the trouble they suspected would soon be coming their way at least their job was not as terrible as what Elrond had to do next. He now had the unenviable task of telling Legolas that his estranged father was on his way.

**To Be Continued…**


	34. Thranduil

Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****If you don't know it by now…well…**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 34 ~ Thranduil**

**OIOI**

When Elrond opened the doors to his rooms he was surprised to find Legolas sitting on the couch next to Elena who was holding a gurgling Aldarion. The prince was smiling brightly at his son and clearly Aldarion was enjoying the attention from his father and nurse. Neither seemed to notice Elrond's quiet arrival so he stood silently just watching them, liking the sight of his love so contented. Of course, Legolas still did not look entirely well. He was pale and shaky and clearly exhausted but at least he had a smile on his face, which was all Elrond could really hope for, especially considering they probably wouldn't see it for a while now.

After a few moments, Legolas glanced around, smiling even more broadly when he saw his love standing there. "Elrond, why are you lurking in the doorway?"

"I didn't like to disturb you," Elrond smiled tentatively, stepping forward finally.

"I know you don't want me too close to Aldarion so Elena is doing all the work. I'm just watching," Legolas grinned down at his son.

"And I think that Aldarion is glad to see his ada again," Elena laughed.

Looking up, Legolas asked, "What are you doing back so early? Did you come to check on me?"

"No actually. There is something I have…" He hesitated, his eyes flickering over to the nurse. "Elena, could you give us a moment and take Aldarion?" He didn't want the maiden to witness Legolas' reaction, whatever it may be.

"Of course, my Lord," she said more seriously, standing up and taking Aldarion into the nursery and closing the door behind her to give them some privacy.

Now also concerned, as Elrond sat down in the chair opposite, Legolas asked, "What is going on?"

Taking a deep breath and bracing himself for whatever may come next, Elrond said gently, "Elladan and Elrohir came back from the borders a few minutes ago. They spotted the King of Mirkwood in the distance. He'll be here either some time tonight or tomorrow at the latest." There was a long and uncomfortable thoughtful silence during which Elrond watched Legolas closely for a reaction. It certainly wasn't what he was expecting. Although he was staring down at the floor, there was a small smile on his face. Elrond continued to watch him for a reaction but the prince didn't look up. "Legolas, are you all right?"

"Yes," he answered softly.

"Are you sure?"

Now Legolas did look up, the smile falling from his lips although he remained remarkably calm-looking. "Yes." At Elrond's concerned look, the prince explained, "I knew this was coming sooner or later. His arrival is not unexpected."

"Even so," Elrond sighed, reaching for Legolas' hand and squeezing it softly. "Are you ready to do this?"

Legolas have a humourless laugh and confessed, "I don't think I'll ever be ready to do this."

"One word he utters to upset you and I'll throw him out of Imladris so fast…"

"No, Elrond, you can't do that. He is still the King of Mirkwood and you need him on your side. You do know that, right?"

"Legolas, I honestly couldn't care less about the relations between the two realms. If he upsets you even a little bit then…"

"Thank you," Legolas smiled at his love's kind words. "I have a few hours?"

"Yes. Listen, if you don't want to see him…"

"I have to," the prince said softly. "I have to see him."

"He is still your father," Elrond whispered. "No matter what happens, always remember that."

"Maybe you should remind me when the yelling starts."

"I will." He smiled reassuringly and asked, "Can I get you anything?"

"No, thank you."

"I think you should go and lie down, try to sleep for a couple of hours."

Legolas sat back on the couch and sighed. "I should start getting ready."

"You should rest. The last thing you want is to show the king any vulnerability. Get some sleep and I'll wake you when he gets here. You'll have plenty of time to prepare before you have to see him."

Nodding, Legolas said, "All right." He stood up and Elrond joined him. "Will you promise me something, Elrond?"

"Anything."

"No matter what happens, don't let him take Aldarion. Don't let him hurt my son," the prince pleaded, tears glistening in his eyes.

Elrond pulled Legolas close, hugging him tightly. "I will never let that happen, do you hear? I won't let him hurt Aldarion or you. I promise," he assured, running his hands over Legolas' back soothingly. "I want you to come and lie down for a while," Elrond continued, walking Legolas to the bedroom. "Close your eyes and try and relax. Let me take care of everything else. I'll be back later, all right?"

"All right," Legolas nodded weakly, lying down obediently.

"Try not to worry," Elrond whispered, pressing a kiss onto Legolas' forehead. When Legolas nodded and closed his eyes, Elrond went and retrieved Elena from the nursery, leading her into the lounge and closing the door behind them so Legolas couldn't hear their conversation. "Elena, I am going to need you to look after Aldarion for a while. You'll stay here rather than going home at night – I'll find you somewhere to sleep. From now on whenever Aldarion is with you there will be at least four guards with you. With my son in your arms you will go nowhere without them. Do you understand?" Elrond asked seriously.

"Yes, my Lord," she said nervously. "Is…is everything all right, my Lord?"

"No, it's not. King Thranduil is coming in the next day. When he is in these rooms I don't want you to take your eyes off the baby, even if King Thranduil orders you to and you don't hand him over to anyone unless you clear it with me or Legolas first. Elena, this is important."

"I understand, sir."

"Good. Wait here for now. I'll be back as soon as I can." She nodded, still looking slightly ill at ease but at least marginally comforted by her lord's orders. "Do me a favour and make sure Legolas rests this afternoon. Even if he doesn't sleep, make sure he at least lies down for a while."

"Of course, my Lord," Elena smiled.

"I'll be back soon."

Elrond spent the rest of the day preparing for the Mirkwood Elves' arrival, supervising Erestor and Glorfindel as they set the rooms up for the king – purposefully as far away from Elrond's own quarters as possible – and the traditional greeting feast. Elrond may have despised King Thranduil for what he did to Legolas but he knew fully well his duty as Lord of Rivendell. That meant being polite at the very least. He really did mean what he said to Legolas, though: one unkind word and he would forcefully remove Thranduil from his realm regardless of the consequences and he knew that Glorfindel felt exactly the same way.

"My Lord, everything is prepared," Glorfindel said from the doorway of Elrond's study.

"Good. Any news on Thranduil's position?"

"The guards met them at the gates a few minutes ago."

"Did they say anything?"

"The guards?" the seneschal asked, stepping into the office. Elrond nodded so he answered, "No. They just sent the message that Thranduil was on his way." The Elven Lord sighed heavily, turning away from where he was leant against the frame of the window, looking out at his realm, which was fast growing darker as evening set in. "My Lord, I have to ask: why are we doing this? Why treat Thranduil like an honoured guest after what he has done to Legolas?"

"Because this is what we do. The king is the leader of one of the three big Elven kingdoms and like it or not we need him. Believe me, Glorfindel, I now wish we could keep a mountain range between us but we cannot refuse him entry to Imladris and we cannot stop him from seeing his son. Legolas is going to need our support whilst Thranduil is here, not for us to be insulting and arguing with the king."

"And I shall support him whatever," Glorfindel stated, standing a little taller.

"I'm sure that Legolas will be pleased to hear that," Elrond smiled. "If they're at the gates they should be here in a couple of hours. I should go and prepare Legolas. Go and wake Elladan and Elrohir. I want a proper, official welcome, not to mention as many allies close by as possible," Elrond muttered, straightening out his golden formal robe as he walked to the door.

When Elrond entered the lounge, he was greeted by Elena. "Is Aldarion asleep?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, my Lord. I will put him to bed. The prince is sleeping well."

"Good. Wait in here for a while then you'll have to look after Aldarion tonight, all right?" Elrond said bluntly, going to the bedroom door and stepping inside. He smiled when he saw Legolas curled up on the bed, his arms wrapped around himself his breathing deep and steady. Elrond sat down on the edge of the bed and stroked his hand up and down Legolas' arm, hoping to wake him as gently as possible. Slowly, Legolas' eyes opened and he looked up at Elrond. "Good evening," the Elven Lord smiled, smoothing the prince's ruffled hair.

"Is it time?" Legolas asked in a weak, croaky voice.

"Nearly. How are you feeling? Did you sleep well?"

"On and off."

"Good," Elrond smiled kindly. "I'll start a bath running whilst you wake yourself up."

The older Elf got Legolas into a hot bath and pulled out the nicest clothes he could find in the closet. During his stay in Rivendell, Legolas had gone through many sets of clothes as his body changed during his pregnancy but for all the trips to the tailors they had never bothered to get proper formal clothes, or even fine robes, made for him. These days, Legolas spent most of his time resting in his rooms and wore only comfortable shirts and leggings or his nightclothes. He really had no need for formal attire. Now, Elrond wished they had thought this far ahead.

He managed to find a good tunic belt and leggings, although he knew that Thranduil would not appreciate that his son was dressed simply and in Rivendell colours. For now though, Elrond figured the shade of his clothes was going to be the last thing on either Mirkwood Elves' minds.

When Legolas emerged from the bathroom, he also looked concerned about Elrond's choices but pulled the clothes on without protest. He sat down at the dresser, taking his time in making himself look presentable. In all the years that Elrond had known Legolas he had never seen him so concerned about his appearance before. After a third, unnecessary, adjustment of his loose collar in front of the mirror, Elrond stood behind him, placing his hands on tense shoulders and squeezing gently.

"Melleth nin, you look fine."

"'Fine' has never been good enough for Thranduil," Legolas said dryly, running his hand over his hair, wondering what the king would say about the lack of formal braids in his hair.

"It will be all right," Elrond assured, bending down and placing a kiss on Legolas' pale cheek.

Legolas looked down so he didn't have to look at his reflection in the mirror or Elrond when he said, "I'm scared. I'm scared of him. He's my father and I'm terrified of what he'll say."

"You don't have to be afraid. I'm going to be right at your side the whole time."

"Thank you."

Elrond laid his hand on Legolas' cheek and guided him to face him. "It will be all right. Remember that no matter what happens, you will always have me and Imladris will always be your home." Legolas nodded slowly, fear shining in his eyes. "I love you," Elrond smiled before leaning forward and pressing a kiss onto Legolas' lips. A knock at the door made Elrond break the kiss and stand up, calling, "Come in."

Erestor opened the door and informed them, "My Lord, King Thranduil is in the courtyard."

Although Legolas visibly stiffened, Elrond smiled at his major domo. "Thank you, Erestor. We'll be right there." The advisor nodded and backed out; closing the door again to give the pair a moment to prepare themselves for what was coming. Elrond turned to Legolas and held out his hand to help the prince to his feet. "It will be all right, melleth nin," he assured.

Legolas nodded but moved into an embrace with his love. "Aldarion…"

"He'll stay in here with Elena and with four guards at the door. He'll be fine."

"Thank you," the prince sighed, still holding his partner close. "Elrond?"

"Yes?" Elrond asked, running fingers through the young Elf's long hair.

"Don't leave me alone with him."

"I won't. Now, we have to go. We don't want to keep him waiting."

"All right," the prince agreed softly, pulling back and once more straightening out his distinctively Imladrian clothes and taking a deep breath. "Let's go."

Elrond nodded and led him out into the lounge, where a nervous Elena smiled at them. Legolas cast her an equally nervous glance but followed Elrond out the door, past fully armed and vigilant guards who stood to attention at the door and the opposite side of the corridor. Erestor joined them at the end of the hallway, following behind his lord and the prince, more a display of support than out of protocol. Not that Legolas even noticed. His nervousness, which had before been undefined, now overwhelmed him. His already aching head had not started pounding and he trembled from nerves rather than weakness.

As they approached the entrance hall, Legolas stopped dead, also making Elrond stop. He took the young Elf's hand and smiled kindly. "It'll be all right. Come on."

Legolas nodded and followed Elrond slowly through the doors into the main hall where Thranduil was standing, flanked by several guards in Mirkwood dress and a couple of Thranduil's most formidable advisors. The king was glaring at Glorfindel who was stood solidly between him and the door to the main house. It didn't look like Glorfindel was backing down even under the king's icy blue stare and for that both Legolas and Elrond had to give him credit.

"King Thranduil," Elrond greeted as he pushed through the doors.

The obviously annoyed King of Mirkwood spun to face the Lord of Imladris. He looked about ready to start shouting when he noticed Legolas stood behind Elrond and it seemed to startle him enough to stun him into silence. Legolas' eyes rose to meet Thranduil's but he couldn't hold the gaze for a minute before he had to look down. Unfortunately, this only brought back his anger and he focused it on Elrond.

"So, this is how you treat your guests, Half-Elf?" he demanded, shooting a disapproving glance at Glorfindel, who still stood defiant.

"Perhaps, Your Majesty, if you had formally announced your arrival we would have been better prepared to receive you," Elrond said easily.

"Surely your two guards informed you of my coming." Thranduil's eyes flicked over to Elladan and Elrohir, who were standing off to the side of Glorfindel. Both looked like they wanted to protest at the put-down but were stayed by Elrond's slight shake of the head. "Legolas, you are loitering," the king barked, startling his son out of staring at the floor. "Am I not even deserving of a proper welcome?"

Legolas glanced at Elrond then reluctantly stepped forward, noting how every Rivendell Elf in the hall stood to full attention. When he reached his father, Thranduil pulled him into a frosty, brief embrace that left both feeling uncomfortable.

"You have put on weight," the king commented rather harshly. "What would your weapon's tutors say if they saw you so out of shape?"

Dropping his eyes to the floor again, Legolas stuttered, "I…I don't…"

"Look at me properly and stop stalling," Thranduil snapped as if he was talking to a young Elfling who was misbehaving.

The young Elf looked up nervously, meeting Thranduil's gaze. "Yes, my Lord."

As the two stared at each other coldly, the tension in the room grew almost unbearable so Elrond stepped up to Legolas' side and said, "Perhaps we should go to my study so we can talk more privately."

For a moment, Thranduil didn't break his gaze, staring at his son until Legolas dropped his eyes, moving them to Elrond instead. The king scoffed softly and stood tall again. "Lead the way," he commanded, striding up to the Lord of Imladris, signalling for his entourage to remain where they were.

Elrond, with Legolas at his side, led the way to his office and opened the door for Legolas and the king. Whilst Thranduil cast a disapproving eye around the room, Legolas went straight to the window behind Elrond's desk – the furthest point from the king and where he felt safest, under Elrond's protection.

"Can we get you anything to eat or drink?" Elrond asked the king.

"I suppose a glass of wine would suffice," Thranduil grumbled, running his finger along one of the bookshelves as if checking for dust.

"Erestor," the Lord of Imladris prompted his major domo, who was stood in the doorway. Erestor nodded and retreated to get the king's request, closing the door quietly behind him.

"Please, take a seat." Elrond sat down behind his desk, discreetly running his hand down Legolas' arm in support although the prince didn't respond. Trying to break the tension, Elrond asked, "How was your journey?"

"Long."

Realising that small-talk was not going to get them anywhere, Elrond sat back in his chair. "We expected you sooner."

"Perhaps if I had been informed in a more timely fashion then I would have left Mirkwood sooner."

"Yes. I…"

"Legolas, are you not going to face me?" Thranduil snapped towards his son. Slowly, Legolas turned around to look at his father. "I was surprised that you waited so long to contact me – or that you did at all, for that matter. And the little note at the end…it was so nice of you to inform me."

"I didn't send it," Legolas responded quietly, his eyes flicking briefly over to Elrond.

"No?"

"I sent you the letter – without Legolas' permission," Elrond told him, knowing it would not elicit a positive reaction.

"Indeed?" Thranduil growled. "Well, I am pleased you got your…partner to inform me of the birth and death of your children."

"Don't you…Don't you dare make light of it," Legolas shouted suddenly, hating how his voice cracked in the middle.

Thranduil actually looked startled at this and said softly, "I would never. To lose a child is a terrible thing, Legolas. I would not wish it upon anyone, not even upon my worst enemy and certainly not on either of you." Both other Elves were silent at this, they could tell from the tone of his voice that he genuinely meant it. "I am sorry, Legolas. A child, any child, is a blessing. To lose one is…unfathomable."

"And yet you were so eager to abandon yours," Legolas said coldly, too angry to consider properly what he was really saying. "You threw me and your grandchildren out into the cold. Do you think even your enemies – let alone your family – deserve that?"

"Legolas," Elrond said softly, leaning over and taking the prince's hand, noting how it trembled.

Thranduil laughed softly, leaning back. "My son believes me cold and unkind. Is that what you think of me, Elrond?" The Elven Lord didn't answer but just stared with cold, hard eyes at the king, letting his silence answer for him and Thranduil seemed to understand as he nodded slowly. "Well, it is nice to feel welcome in the haven of all free peoples."

"With all due respect, did you honestly think that you would be welcomed here?" Elrond asked before Legolas could say anything.

"Then why did you send for me?"

"We didn't ask you to come."

"You sent me a letter."

"Yes. Informing you of Legolas' condition."

"You wrote to me pleading for forgiveness and now you don't want it, Legolas?" the king asked dispassionately.

"I…I never meant to send the letter," Legolas told him softly.

"What? Speak up!" Thranduil shouted.

"I said I never meant to send the letter. I never wanted you to read it. I wrote it just after I came to Rivendell and for some reason I missed you and my home. You were never meant to read it. And Elrond certainly didn't send it to you to convince you to come to Imladris!" Legolas yelled, stepping forward and towering rather impressively over his father, who remained seated and stoic.

"You tell me that your child – my grandchild – is dead and you expected me not to come?" Thranduil shouted back. "No, wait, you didn't tell me. You left it to the Half-Elven! You left it to your…I don't even know what he is…to tell me, Legolas! Tell me, what did you expect me to do?"

"Nothing!" Legolas shouted. "I expected you to do nothing! You wanted to get me out of the way. You didn't care about me and you certainly didn't care about your grandchildren. What makes you think I owe you anything after what you did to me?"

"Owe me? I am your father but more than that, I am your king."

"_Were _my king," Legolas corrected simply. "You sent me away. I owe you nothing so don't even pretend you care one bit about me or about my children, don't you dare."

"I raised you. You lived under my roof, ate my food and lived under my protection so you do not speak to me in that manner, ever. Do you hear me?" Thranduil shouted, standing up from his seat and glaring down at his son, eyes blazing with anger.

"No, you don't get to command me anymore. You lost that right when you threw me out."

"I command you, Legolas. You are still my subject and you will show me some respect."

"No! No, I can't do this," Legolas said, pushing past his father and heading to the door.

"You don't leave until I say you do," Thranduil demanded, reaching over and grabbing Legolas' arm and pulling him back. "One of them is still alive," he continued, not releasing his vice-like grip on his son.

"Excuse me?" Legolas growled.

"One of the babies is still alive?"

"Yes," the prince ground out.

"A boy?"

"What?"

"It is a boy? The baby that lived."

"Yes."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Does it have…?"

"Why do you care?" Legolas shouted, trying to wrench his arm away without much success.

Thranduil's face softened a little and his eyes swept up and down the prince's form, making him want to squirm. "I don't," the king said, his face returning to its default of impassive. "I came here…"

"What? What did you come here for?" Legolas asked quietly.

"Because…" Thranduil started but couldn't actually find the words.

"Because, what, Your Majesty?" Legolas' voice had turned cold again. His eyes searched Thranduil's looking for the response he knew Thranduil would never admit to even thinking. "You can't say it, can you?" A knock at the door broke the tense silence that followed and Erestor entered with a silver tray holding a glass of wine. He silently placed it on the table and left with a small bow, glad to be out of there. "Can you please let go of my arm?" Legolas asked softly. Thranduil looked down as if surprised that his grip remained firm, although he then released his hand. "Thank you."

"Legolas?" Elrond asked as Legolas walked slowly to the door.

"I…I need to…I'm going to lie down," the prince said, opening the door and walking out without another word to either other Elf.

Thranduil sat back down but Elrond also went to the door. "Excuse me for a minute." He rushed out after the prince. "Legolas," he called after the blonde, who stopped to let Elrond catch up with him. "Are you all right?" Elrond asked, reaching for Legolas' hand, which was still trembling ever so slightly.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't."

"It's all right," Elrond smiled kindly. "You did well. Go and lie down, get some rest. I'll be with you as soon as I can."

"Thank you," the prince said with a weak smile. Elrond pulled him into a quick hug then guided him to move down the corridor. He then returned to his office to face Thranduil again.

"My son is walking out on me, Lord Elrond. You have him well trained," Thranduil said, now sat back on the couch sipping at his wine.

Elrond also sat down, taking his own cup of wine. "I believe he left because of you."

Thranduil chuckled softly. "Maybe. Tell me, what would you have done in my position? Imagine you only had one son, the sole heir to your kingdom, and one day he came to you and told you that he and his illicit lover had been…cavorting and your son had gotten himself pregnant. You cannot allow it to continue but he refuses to compromise. What else could I have done?"

"Supported your son in his time of need," Elrond suggested blandly. "And what would I have done? If it had been Elladan or Elrohir, the one thing I wouldn't have done was send him out in the wilds all by himself in a vulnerable condition and alienated him from all his friends so there was nowhere for him to go." Now, Elrond sat forward and asked, "How did you expect him to react to your coming?"

"With a little decorum."

"Decorum?" Elrond scoffed. "You really have no idea, do you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Do you remember your wife when she was with child? It is about ten times harder for male Elves to carry infants to term and to give birth. And Legolas was carrying twins, so it was doubly difficult for him."

"Do you think I have no sympathy for my son?"

"I just think you have no perception of what he had to go through."

"Maybe not."

"Maybe?" Elrond laughed humourlessly. "Do you know how hard it is to carry twins under the very best of circumstances? To do the majority of it on your own and out in the cold is beyond difficult."

"I do not need a lecture on my son's well-being," Thranduil snapped then downed the remainder of his wine.

"I really think you do. I read that letter he wrote to you. He skipped the fact that he spent nearly five months travelling around looking for a place to stay. I think you know that no one would take him in. In the middle of winter he was forced to travel without proper shelter. When he arrived here he could barely stand he was so weak from lack of food and rest. Was that your intention when you threw him from Mirkwood with nothing but the clothes on his back?"

"He made his choice," Thranduil said coldly, running his finger thoughtfully around the rim of his now empty glass.

"You didn't give him a choice."

"Of course I did."

"What? Either destroy your children or get out and never come back? What kind of option is that?" Elrond demanded, his voice raised in anger.

"It is an option and he chose to go out on his own."

"No, Thranduil. Would you have given up your baby? I don't think so. And if you would then you don't deserve to be a parent at all."

"I beg your pardon?"

"It is not me you need to be begging to," Elrond told him icily.

"How dare you. You have no right."

"No right!" the Elven lord shouted angrily, sitting forward in his chair as he slammed his glass down on the table. "They were my children too, Thranduil! You abandoned your son and my children. I love him and you had no right – no right! – to throw them aside as if they were nothing more than stray dogs."

Thranduil leapt up, letting his glass drop to the floor carelessly. "What do you care now? You got what you have always wanted: you got Legolas all to yourself here in Rivendell instead of over the mountains with me."

Now Elrond also stood, unafraid to confront the king head on. "You're telling me that you thought I was jealous of your relationship with Legolas so I got him pregnant in the hope that you would get so mindlessly angry that you would forget you had a soul and abandon him so that I could have him here with me?"

"Is it so inconceivable?"

"Yes! Of course I want to be with Legolas but I would never go about it that way. We did not plan to have children. And if you had let him stay in Mirkwood during his pregnancy I would not have objected."

"Really?" Thranduil scoffed in disbelief.

"Of course. I would rather him be safe and healthy than out on his own and in pain. And it was painful, Thranduil. There were probably about two good months where he could relax but that was it. And his condition was not helped by travelling non-stop for five months. I would not wish to see him in pain but you did not offer him a chance, Thranduil," Elrond accused. "You left him to struggle through on his own. And you wonder why he doesn't want to sit in this room with you."

"I did what I had to," Thranduil said with conviction.

"Yes, I believe you did. Unfortunately, in the process you lost your son; just as I lost my daughter," the Elven lord said softly, watching for any reaction. "Your rooms have been prepared. I'll have Erestor show you the way. Excuse me." With that, Elrond pulled open the door and left before Thranduil could protest.

Just around the corner, Elrond stopped and slumped back against the wall, closing his eyes with a heavy sigh.

"My Lord?" Erestor asked in concern.

Looking up, Elrond asked, "Can you show King Thranduil to his rooms, please?"

"Yes, of course. Sir, is everything all right?"

Elrond shook his head, as if unable to come up with an answer. "I remember Thranduil being difficult when it came to Legolas and his relationship with Imladris but I never…" He trailed off, not capable of expressing the feeling he got from the king during their talk. "See to it that he and his people have everything they need but keep the guards on high alert. I will see you in the morning," Elrond smiled at his major domo, who recognised the dismissal and rushed off to do as instructed.

The Lord of Rivendell, meanwhile, turned and headed back to his own chambers. He had been in the office speaking with Thranduil longer than he had anticipated and most of the house was asleep already, although he was pleased to see the four guards remaining standing to attention outside the chambers. Giving them a brief nod of acknowledgement, Elrond entered the lounge to find Elena laid out on the couch fast asleep, her book abandoned on the floor. Not wanting to disturb her, Elrond gently laid a throw from the back of the sofa over her and then crept into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. The room was dark, all the lamps extinguished, but the light from the nursery allowed Elrond to see Legolas laid on the bed.

Kicking off his shoes, Elrond climbed onto the bed and under the sheets, not bothering to change his clothes. Even laid next to the young Elf, Legolas had his back to Elrond so he couldn't really tell whether he was asleep yet or not. So, he just laid there in the darkness, listening to Legolas' breathing, ready should he be needed by the prince.

Nearly fifteen minutes after lying down, Legolas finally showed some sign that he was awake and aware of Elrond's presence at his side.

"Where is he?" the prince asked softly, so softly that had he not been concentrating, Elrond wouldn't have heard at all.

"In his rooms. I put him on the other side of the house so you won't run into him," Elrond replied, finally daring to put his hand on Legolas' arm. "Are you all right, melleth nin?"

With a sigh, Legolas shifted onto his back and turned his head to look over at Elrond. The Elven lord noticed his eyes were red-rimmed and tired from where he had been crying. "I don't know," Legolas answered, his voice soft and rather shaky. "I am sorry I couldn't stay."

"It's all right," Elrond assured again, propping himself up on his elbow so he could look down properly at Legolas.

Legolas shook his head against the pillow, tears slipping from the corners of his eyes and dampening the fabric beneath him. "I shouldn't have left you alone with him."

"It's all right," the Elven lord whispered gently, reaching out to smooth Legolas' hair.

"I'm sorry."

As Legolas broke down in sobs, Elrond sat up against the headboard and pulled the prince into a hug. The young Elf held him tightly as cries shook his body. "It's all right, melleth nin. It's all right. Shh, shh." Elrond stroked golden hair back, willing to let Legolas have his moment of weakness in his arms. After facing the king, Legolas clearly needed the reassurance and Elrond was all too happy to provide it. He was, after all, becoming rather used to picking up the pieces in Thranduil's wake. If it meant helping Legolas, though, it was worth it.

For a long while, the young Elf cried against him and Elrond gently soothed him. An hour or so later, Legolas had stopped crying and instead laid quietly with his head pillowed on Elrond's broad chest. Stroking Legolas' hair back from his forehead, Elrond whispered, "Sleep now, my love." Legolas shifted his head slightly to get more comfortable then closed his eyes and was soon drifting off into his more peaceful dreams.

Once the prince had fallen asleep, Elrond rested his head back and let his eyes go vacant. For the next few hours at least, they could hide away from Thranduil's judgemental gaze.

**To Be Continued…**


	35. Seeking Redemption

Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****If you don't know it by now…well…**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 35 ~ Seeking Redemption**

**OIOI**

When Elrond woke he found that he was laid on his side in the bed but Legolas remained in his arms, sound asleep. Several times during the night he had been woken as Legolas tossed and turned restlessly. Clearly the fact that his father was under the same roof as him troubled him, and at least three times he had gotten up and gone into the nursery to check on Aldarion, although their son slept, undisturbed by his father's anxiety. Obviously, the prince had finally managed to fall into a peaceful slumber at some point. Elrond laid still, unwilling to disturb Legolas unless absolutely necessary.

Just half an hour later though Elrond heard a cry from the nursery. Suddenly, he found himself torn between his love and his son. Luckily though, Elena was also up and slipped quietly into the bedroom, her eyes flicking to the bed. She stopped short when she saw Elrond looking at her and opened her mouth to speak but the Elven lord raised his finger to his lips to indicate for her to remain quiet and his eyes shifted down pointedly to the golden prince in his arms. Taking the hint, she nodded and resumed her path to the nursery, carefully closing the door behind her.

Soon enough, Aldarion stopped crying but Elena remained in the nursery to make sure the baby didn't disturb either of her employers. When she returned to the lounge, she noticed Elrond now also dozing peacefully with Legolas in his arms.

It was nearly ten before Elrond decided that he really should get up and make sure his guests were being well looked after. Despite feeling ridiculously comfortable with Legolas' warm weight pressed against him, Elrond very carefully shifted to the side until he managed to lie Legolas gently down on the bed then slipped away, watching Legolas closely to ensure he hadn't been disturbed. Now laid on his own, Legolas shifted to a more comfortable position, sighed, but remained asleep. Elrond stood slowly, stretching out his aching limbs, then turned to Legolas and pulled the blankets over him, hoping he would be warm enough in his partner's absence. Before going to get changed, the older Elf leant over and placed a kiss on Legolas' pale cheek.

"Sleep well, beloved," he breathed, leaving Legolas to his sleep.

As quickly as possible, Elrond washed and dressed in formal robes and then went to greet his son and Elena, who smiled brightly at him. For a minute he held his son, revelling in the closeness with him. However, he was already ridiculously late for breakfast, so he reluctantly handed him back to the nurse and left her with instructions not to disturb Legolas.

When Elrond belatedly entered the dining hall, he wasn't surprised to find that Thranduil and his people remained at the long tables, faces set dispassionately, but their body language signalled their disapproval at their host's tardiness. In a mark of – clearly forced – respect, everyone stood as Elrond took his place at the head of the table. Once he had settled himself in his seat, he waved them all to sit down, noting with a private smile that Thranduil was practically seething. Deciding that the king deserved to squirm a little more yet, Elrond did not initiate conversation as a server placed his plate and cup of tea in front of him.

Unable to keep his quiet as protocol dictated, Thranduil asked in a loud voice, "Where is Legolas?"

Looking up from his breakfast, Elrond took his opportunity to stare at Thranduil across the table, reminding him in a not so subtle way that he was not in charge here in Imladris. Despite this, Elrond answered, "Still in bed, I believe," he said nonchalantly, knowing fully well that Thranduil wouldn't be able to resist commenting.

And he wasn't disappointed. "In bed at this hour? It's nearing mid-day," Thranduil said distastefully.

"Yes, well, he didn't sleep particularly well last night; too much on his mind, I think," he said pointedly. "Besides, he often sleeps in late these days."

"When he lived in Mirkwood he was up with the dawn," Thranduil practically sneered, as if he had somehow triumphed over the Lord of Imladris.

"I fear he tires more easily these days." Good response – it silenced Thranduil at least and Elrond couldn't help but feel terribly pleased with himself. "And with the baby to look after, he needs all the rest he can get."

"It…the baby, it keeps you up at night?" Thranduil asked quietly, as if anxious at being caught asking such a personal question.

"_He_ does. In fact, some nights I think he conspires to keep us both awake."

A very slight smile crossed Thranduil's face but it vanished before Elrond could be certain he saw correctly. "He was the same," the king said so quietly that Elrond barely caught it.

"Excuse me?"

"Legolas, he was the same as a baby. He'd cry all night long then be silent during the day when we were both awake anyway."

Elrond smiled, nodding. "That sounds like Aldarion."

For a long moment, Thranduil just watched the unintimidated Lord of Imladris as if trying to divine what he was thinking. Elrond though was completely unwilling to give anything away easily and just continued with his breakfast until finally the king looked away and said to his people, "Give us a moment alone." Although they looked reluctant, the rest of the visiting Mirkwood party stood, bowed and obediently filed out of the dining hall. Elrond briefly waved his hand to his own waiters, who all gave small but respectful bows and quietly left, closing the door behind them to allow the two Elven lords some privacy.

Placing his knife and fork neatly across his plate, Elrond laid his hands on his lap, his attention now fixed on Thranduil, waiting patiently for the king to speak. Thranduil, it seemed was now more reluctant to say what he wanted for he was running his finger absently along the edge of the table to distract himself.

A moment of two later though, he finally spoke. "I do love him, you know." Elrond just raised an eyebrow and picked up his cup to have a sip of tea. "I hate that he despises me."

"He doesn't despise you, Thranduil." The golden king looked up in surprise. "If he hated you, being parted from you wouldn't have been so utterly devastating for him. He may have been angry – justifiably so – but he could never hate you."

"I sent him away."

"Yes. And he hates that action but not you. If he did he wouldn't have been upset at you. And he has been, more than you can imagine. The number of nights I sat up with him crying in my arms over you…That is not the action of someone who genuinely hates you. It would have been so much easier for the both of us if he had."

"You hate me though, don't you?" Thranduil asked knowingly.

"Yes, I do. I despise any parent who would even contemplate abandoning their child," Elrond replied truthfully and simply. He didn't consider it his job to make Thranduil feel better about himself.

"I can appreciate that," the king whispered.

"But I do not speak for Legolas. Yes, he's angry, devastated and disappointed at your actions but you are still his father. And despite all my many misgivings about you, I have to respect that. Otherwise, believe me, I would never have granted you access to my realm."

"You wrote to me, Elrond. You practically told me to come."

"I did no such thing. I granted you the courtesy of knowing that your son was well and that your grandchild had passed away. I never implied that you should come here," Elrond stated immediately.

"Legolas does not want me here."

"No."

"I shouldn't be surprised."

"No, you shouldn't. He's terrified of you, Thranduil."

"What?" the king asked sharply, seemingly genuinely surprised by this revelation.

"You left him. You sent him out on his own when he was most vulnerable. And yes, he was angry and confused but that is nothing compared to how afraid he is that _you_ hate _him._ I wish that he didn't care about you so much; it would have made my life a whole lot easier if he didn't. He's scared that you can never accept him and he's scared that you will never accept our son."

"The child is illegitimate and unnatural," Thranduil spat automatically.

Pushing aside his anger and disgust at the unfeeling way Thranduil was speaking of his child, Elrond reasoned, "When Legolas first informed you that we were pursuing a romantic relationship you were angry and a main part of that anger stemmed from knowing that you could never have grandchildren or an heir to rule after Legolas. Well, your son has given you a grandson and an heir."

"An illegitimate child can never rule Mirkwood, I won't allow it," Thranduil shouted suddenly.

"Aldarion is legitimate, Thranduil. He was conceived out of love."

"He has no mother."

"He has me."

"You are a male. And you are ruler of Imladris."

"I'm not going to apologise for my position."

"It is not your position that worries me most, _Half-Elven_," Thranduil practically growled.

Realisation dawned on Elrond suddenly and he laughed humourlessly. "So, this is about my lineage. You can't stand that I have human blood in my veins."

"Your other children have human blood too. The baby would have the same weakness."

"Have I done anything in my years on Arda to convince you of any 'weakness' I may possess? Am I a poorer leader for my ancestors? No other kingdom on this earth has such a problem with me – your own son certainly doesn't, so why do you, Thranduil?" The king did not answer, proving Elrond's point. "Thranduil, if I am the only thing that is preventing you reconciling with your son then I'll step back, give both of you some space to work things out."

Thranduil chuckled dryly, rocking back in his chair. "I don't always understand my son but the one thing I know for certain is that if I even attempt to push you aside he really will hate me. Why do you think I have tolerated your relationship all these years?"

"You were afraid Legolas would leave you for me?" Elrond said softly.

"I knew he would." Elrond shook his head in disbelief. "Is it so hard to believe? I was right, after all. He did leave me for you."

"Leave…? Thranduil, you threw him out of his home. He didn't leave you for me, you gave him no choice. Did you know that I was his last option? He wandered around for months looking for somewhere else to stay. But you prevented him from finding rest anywhere but here. You took away all his friends, Thranduil. He came here last. At first I didn't understand why. I always told him that he was welcome here no matter what and yet when he needed safety and comfort he preferred to wander alone in the wilds. He did it because he knew that if he came here you would never take him back. He made his choice, Thranduil. He chose you."

The king of Mirkwood sat in stunned, confused silence for a long time, looking at Elrond with tear-filled eyes. "I've lost him," Thranduil finally whispered, blinking away the tears before they could fall.

"He reached out to you, Thranduil. He wrote to you."

"But he didn't send the letter. You sent it. He didn't want to reach out."

"He wrote it in the first place. He wanted to contact you." Thranduil shook his head and directed his gaze to the table. "He wanted to send for you. Some nights he pleaded to understand why you sent him away. He thinks it was his fault."

"It was," Thranduil said quickly, as if an automatic response drilled into him for months.

"No, it wasn't. We didn't plan it. It just happened."

"Does he…Does Legolas regret it?"

This was still a sore spot for Elrond so he took his time in answering. When he did speak, it was in a quiet voice that matched Thranduil's. "Sometimes I think he does. Not the fact that the babies were but the manner in which it all happened. It was hard on him, Thranduil, so hard that sometimes he couldn't stand it."

"I…I didn't know that."

"Yes." For a moment, Elrond found himself caught up in the memories of the pregnancy.

Thranduil's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Tell me."

"What?"

"Tell me about the…about, you know…"

"The pregnancy?" Elrond asked when Thranduil couldn't bring himself to say it. The king nodded, almost shyly and sat back in his seat, bracing himself for what he knew was coming. "Well, he was five months when he arrived in Rivendell in the middle of the night, soaked through, freezing cold and all but collapsing from exhaustion. He saw Glorfindel first and made an official request for asylum."

"He asked for sanctuary in Imladris? Why?"

"You ordered him banished from every ally of Mirkwood. He was terrified that we would turn him away. So he spent a good hour with Glorfindel explaining his need for staying in Imladris, started to fill out the forms for asylum and fell sound asleep where he sat. I took him to my…our rooms and examined him. He had…bound his abdomen with tight bandages and he hadn't eaten properly in nearly four months so he was small considering how far along he was and that he was carrying twins."

"He…bound himself?" Elrond nodded gently. "Why?"

"To hide that he was pregnant. Apparently, he managed to find a couple of places to stay along the road and he didn't want to show his condition."

"Where did he stay?" Thranduil prompted.

"A couple of inns, I think. He didn't really talk about it much."

"How did he pay for it?"

"He sold what he had on him. The brooch his mother gave him and the ring commemorating his position as the Crown Prince of Mirkwood."

"He sold priceless family heirlooms?" Thranduil demanded angrily.

Biting back his own anger, Elrond ground out, "He had no choice. It was freezing cold and he was beyond exhausted. He had to rest somewhere."

The king mused on this for a moment then nodded thoughtfully. "I suppose. So, he arrived in Imladris…" the king prompted for Elrond to continue the story, now genuinely interested in what had happened to his son.

"The pregnancy progressed relatively smoothly. He slept a lot and there was a lot of sickness all through but he handled it well. In the latter months there were some problems. He became less rested and once he collapsed and couldn't feel the babies but it was a false alarm. Even so, it rattled him and he wasn't so contented for the rest of his pregnancy." Thranduil nodded in understanding when Elrond paused; he had been rather hoping for a flicker of sympathy for his son but Thranduil offered none. "He went into labour about a week early in the middle of the night – although he didn't bother to tell me for a good few hours."

"How long was he…in…you know…?"

"Labour? The best part of two days."

"Two days?" Thranduil exclaimed in surprise, sitting forward so his elbows were propped up on the table. "How did he manage to…Was it…? Did it hurt a lot?"

"Of course it hurt, so much he couldn't stand at times. But he did it well. He remained strong throughout and had two beautiful babies." Elrond actually smiled at the thought, for a moment forgetting that Thranduil was watching closely.

"And the girl?"

"Anara."

"Anara?" Thranduil asked in surprise.

"Yes. You know the name? when Legolas suggested it, I wasn't sure where it came from."

"Anara was Legolas' nurse. The maid who looked after him when he was a child."

Elrond smiled softly. "He named her after his nurse."

"They were very close."

The Lord of Imladris nodded. "Then it is a good name."

"It is," the king agreed. "So, Legolas handled the…the birth well?"

"Yes. It was long and painful and by the end he was absolutely worn out."

"Did he get to hold the child before…?"

"Yes. He held her right up until the moment she drew her final breath. She died in his arms," Elrond said softly, his voice shaking slightly with emotion.

There was a long silence, which Thranduil broke. "I am sorry."

"Thank you." Sitting up straight, Elrond cleared his throat and said, "That's about it."

"Quite a story."

"A little different when you've lived through it. He did well, Thranduil, and under any other circumstances I think you would have been proud of him. I know I am." Elrond pushed his chair back and stood, ignoring the fact that Thranduil remained stubbornly seated now he was alone with the Lord of Rivendell. "You should think about what I've told you and decide what you want to do next. If you honestly want to make peace with Legolas then I wholly support you but I'm telling you now, if you don't… Thranduil, he has been through enough. I honestly don't know how much more he can handle and I will not have him hurt again. If you upset him, I will personally throw you from my realm and I'll make certain you never see him again. It's up to you now if you want reconciliation or complete detatchment. Think about it, send for me when you're done but you're not to come near Legolas if you have even a small intent to cause him pain," Elrond warned sincerely before leaving the dining hall and giving Thranduil some time alone with his thoughts.

First, Elrond went to his office, finding Glorfindel already waiting for him. "Sorry I'm late," the Elven lord said, sitting down heavily. "I was having breakfast with King Thranduil."

"How did it go last night?"

"Well, there was a lot of shouting, a fair few insults – most of them directed at me – and Legolas went to bed in tears, so it went just as expected," Elrond said dryly.

"Then everything's on track," the seneschal said cheerfully.

"Would you mind if I slipped out at lunch? I want to check on Legolas later. He was pretty upset last night."

"Yes, of course."

"Thank you."

**OIOI**

Just before lunch, Elrond slipped out of his office and quickly made his way to their rooms. He found Legolas sat in the lounge, giving Aldarion his bottle. He looked up when the door opened and offered Elrond a weak smile of greeting. Elrond sat down on the couch next to the prince, running his fingers over his son's soft hair.

"How are you feeling this afternoon?" he asked gently.

Legolas offered him a weak and shaky smile. "I missed breakfast."

"I've ordered us some ; it should be here soon."

"You had breakfast with Thranduil?" Legolas asked quietly, averting his eyes.

"Yes. We…talked."

"And?"

Elrond sighed heavily. "I don't know, melleth nin. I'm sorry."

"You should have reminded me; I should have been there with you."

"You didn't sleep well last night. You needed the rest – in fact, you still do. You look tired, my love," Elrond said with obvious concern. "Where is Elena?"

"I sent her to get some rest."

"Legolas, I don't want you to have to deal with Aldarion by yourself right now. It should be you resting, not Elena."

"He's no trouble and I like looking after him. It makes me feel better."

"All right. But promise me you'll lay down this afternoon."

"Please stop fussing," Legolas smiled, secretly pleased that his companion cared enough to fuss. Thankfully, Elrond also understood this. "Here, can you hold him for a moment?" Legolas asked, moving to pass the baby to a waiting Elrond. Once the dark-haired Elf had the baby, Legolas stood up gingerly.

"Legolas, are you all right?" The prince nodded but didn't properly answer. "Are you sure? You winced," Elrond persisted.

"I'm just…I don't know…a little sore," the blonde Elf admitted.

"Since when?"

Legolas shrugged in an attempt to brush off the concern. "A couple of days."

"Days? Legolas, why didn't you say?" Elrond demanded, standing up carefully and following the prince into the bedroom.

"You've had a lot on your mind."

"That is not an excuse and you know it. Lie down, I'm going to take a look at you."

"There's no need."

"There clearly is a need, Legolas. Let me put Aldarion down to bed. Lie on the bed and remove your tunic." When Legolas looked like he was about to protest, Elrond warned, "Either you do it now and let me take a look or I'm having you dragged to the healing halls where the other healers can examine you instead. It is entirely up to you." Realising there was no way he could get out of this now, Legolas nodded in submission. "Good choice. Now go do as you're told."

"Can I at least go to the bathroom first?" Legolas asked dryly.

"If you must."

Legolas retreated to the bathroom whilst Elrond gently laid Aldarion down in his crib for his afternoon nap. When he returned to his own room, Legolas was laid obediently on the bed, naked from the waist up as ordered. Elrond stepped over to him and laid his hands gently on Legolas' abdomen, noticing the flinch that passed over the pale body. "That isn't just sore, Legolas; you're in pain."

"Only a little."

"A little? You shouldn't be in any at all."

"It's all right, Elrond."

"No, it is not all right, Legolas. You should have told me." Elrond gently prodded the area. The wound was slightly red and swollen but no more than usual. When Elrond touched a particularly tender spot, Legolas hissed and tried to shrink away but he couldn't really go anywhere lying on the bed. "Sorry, melleth nin. I'll get you something for the pain and bandage that wound. Stay where you are for now," Elrond told him softly, placing his hand on Legolas' shoulder.

Just as he opened the lounge door to fetch his medical bag from the healing halls, Erestor appeared carrying a tray bearing the food he had ordered. "Erestor, perfect timing as usual. Can you fetch my medical bag, please? And get Elena back here but see to it that no one else disturbs us."

"Yes, my Lord," Elrond said and left without question.

Elrond carried the tray into the bedroom where Legolas was still laid on his back on the bed.

"Can I get up yet?" the blonde Elf asked.

"No, not until you're more comfortable."

"I'm not comfortable like this," Legolas mumbled grumpily.

"Then sit up a little but you're not leaving this bed until I'm certain that you're all right."

"I'm fine."

Elrond sat back down on the bed but didn't argue, instead smoothing Legolas' hair back. "Humour me," he said softly with a smile. The prince sighed and closed his eyes, accepting that he wouldn't be allowed to get up anytime soon. "I honestly thought we had agreed on this, you know? We agreed that if you had a problem you were to tell me right away."

"I didn't want to worry you," Legolas said softly, not bothering to open his eyes.

"There are certain things I have to worry about, remember? Don't make me watch you suffer anymore, melleth nin. Please."

Tired blue eyes slipped open and focused on Elrond. "I am sorry," he whispered, taking Elrond's hand in his own.

Elrond smiled kindly, squeezing Legolas' hand gently. "It's all right. I just…I want to see you happy and comfortable, that's all. Let me do that at least." Legolas nodded wordlessly and smiled. "Erestor brought some lunch. Do you think you can eat something?"

"Of course," Legolas replied, shuffling up the bed so he was sat up, propped against the headboard.

Elrond fetched the tray and handed Legolas the sandwich he had ordered for him. The young Elf ate slowly under Elrond's gaze. He tolerated the stare only because he wanted to reassure the Elven lord that he was really all right. He hoped it worked because as much as he appreciated Elrond's fussing, he didn't want to worry him unduly.

Not too long later, Erestor knocked on the door and handed Elrond his medicine bag before silently retreating.

"All right, lie back down," Elrond instructed then helped Legolas shuffle back down so he was lying flat on the bed. "I'm going to put a padded bandage over that wound once I've applied the paste. Then you're taking something for the pain and I don't want to hear any arguments. I know you don't like taking strong herbs but you're not going to sit there suffering in silence whilst…"

"Do you hear me arguing?" Legolas interrupted.

"No, and that's what concerns me," Elrond said in a quiet, concerned voice. "Yell if this hurts too much."

"I've had worse."

"Legolas, yell if this becomes too much and I'll stop. I don't like you comparing every twinge to your labour pains, it's completely different," Elrond scolded gently. Legolas nodded his understanding and rested his head back whilst Elrond gently washed over the wound and started to apply the thick herbal paste that would combat any infection and swelling that might occur. Legolas only winced once, although he dismissed Elrond's concern, saying that it was merely because the paste he was smothered with was cold and not due to any excessive pain. Once that was done, Elrond fixed a bandage with plenty of soft, supportive padding over the wound. "How does that feel?" he asked his patient.

"Fine."

"Not too uncomfortable?" Elrond pressed, still worried.

"No, it's fine," the prince smiled. Before he could assure Elrond further, Aldarion started screaming from the next room, making both parents look up. "I should go and see to him."

"I asked for Elena to be brought here. What is taking her so long?" Elrond grumbled as he packed his things away in his bag.

"She went to visit her uncle in town," Legolas explained, pushing himself up.

"What are doing?"

"Aldarion…"

"I'll see to Aldarion. You stay here, take this then lie down," Elrond commanded, handing Legolas a vial of pain medication. Although the blonde Elf didn't look overly happy about the command, he sat back again and slowly drank the potent green liquid, grimacing at the bitter taste. Soon enough, the crying from the next room ceased and Legolas listened to his love's muffled voice singing the Imladrian lullaby that never failed to calm their son. The calm, deep voice was so soothing that Legolas felt all his tension finally draining away. Without realising it, his fingers relaxed and the vial slipped from between them and landed on the bed.

The action startled Legolas and he blinked to clear his vision, realising he must have momentarily nodded off. Surely Elrond's potion wasn't that potent. It usually made him feel a little drowsy but never so tired that he could hardly keep his eyes open. Unless…

"Elrond?" Legolas called out softly so as not to disturb Aldarion again. A second later, Elrond was by his side. "Did you…?" He couldn't think of the words.

"It's all right. I gave you something to help you relax. Don't fight it, melleth nin," the healer said softly. "Lie down," he urged, picking up the empty vial and setting it aside so it was out of the way. He took Legolas' arm and guided him to shift down the bed. Legolas rested back against the pillows with a small sigh. Elrond smiled and pulled a blanket up to cover Legolas to keep him warm. "That's it. Get some rest."

Already, Legolas' eyes had slipped closed again but he murmured, "You shouldn't have…You…"

"Shh, shh. Just sleep, melleth nin," Elrond whispered, leaning over and placing a kiss against Legolas' warm lips. The younger Elf had already fallen into a deep sleep though, which surprised Elrond a little. For him to have fallen asleep so quickly he must already have been utterly worn out. Elrond knew that the prince tired more easily now anyway and that he hadn't slept particularly well for a few days. It wasn't good for him, especially as he was still recovering from his most recent bout of illness. The stress of Thranduil's visit probably wasn't helping him much either – hence Elrond's decision to give him something to help him sleep. It certainly wouldn't hurt him to indulge in a nap every now and then.

Elrond brushed blonde hair from Legolas' overly pale face then went to the window to draw the drapes so the sunlight couldn't disturb the golden prince from his peaceful rest. He then slipped quietly from the room, leaving the door slightly ajar just in case either Legolas or Aldarion needed him.

By some miracle, Elrond remained undisturbed by his staff, although he remained working at his desk. Glorfindel would always ensure that there was enough work for him to get through by himself. A couple of times, he checked on Legolas but the blonde Elf remained fast asleep, tucked beneath the warm blankets. Aldarion woke up at about two in the afternoon so Elrond abandoned his work and lifted his son out of the crib, hushing him when he squealed at being moved. Taking the baby out into the lounge and closing the door behind him so they didn't disturb Legolas – not that anything would have woken Legolas right then, he was oblivious to everything around him.

Elrond spent the day playing with his son, pleased to actually spend some proper time with the tiny baby. Glorfindel popped by once or twice to update Elrond on what was going on in the realm and tell him to remain with his family where he was needed.

Later in the day, there was a sharp knock at the door, startling Elrond. He picked up the baby, securing him in his arms, and walked to the door, pulling it open but stepping back in shock when he saw Thranduil standing uncomfortably in the doorway.

"Thranduil," Elrond exclaimed, instinctively holding his son closer to his chest. "Forgive me; we weren't expecting you."

"I know. Is that…?" Thranduil's eyes drifted down to the baby.

"Your grandson: Aldarion."

The king stared at the child for a long moment and Aldarion watched him with equal interest. When the baby had had enough of the staring, he gurgled softly and small, podgy hands gripped Elrond's tunic buttons, a far more interesting thing for him now than the tall blonde Elf.

"Can I come in?" Thranduil asked coldly, looking around Elrond into the lounge.

"I…I don't…"

"You told me to make a choice and I have. Now, can I come in?"

Still not entirely certain, Elrond nodded rather reluctantly and stepped aside to allow the king entrance to the private chambers. Thranduil paused for a moment, apparently a little uncertain himself, but then he seemed to come to a decision and stepped over the threshold. In all his years of coming to Imladris, the king had never ventured into Elrond's private chambers, not even when Legolas had announced his deeper relationship with the Elven lord. It seemed strange being here now, for the room so obviously belonged to Elrond with its high bookcases and full desk, yet soft couch and large armchairs. And yet there were elements obviously brought in by his son – the neatness of the lounge. Also, the room was scattered with baby toys, soft blankets and empty bottles.

Whilst Thranduil looked critically around the room, Elrond perched on the sofa so he could hold Aldarion more comfortable.

"Not what you expected?" Elrond asked coolly, attracting Thranduil's gaze.

"Exactly what I expected," he shot back as if it were an insult. Elrond merely smiled, knowing fully well that he wasn't going to get a much more friendly response, and gestured to one of the empty seats. Distastefully, Thranduil lowered himself gracefully into an armchair, asking, "Where is Legolas?"

Elrond's eyes flickered to the bedroom door. "He's asleep."

"It's barely evening yet. Can't you wake him up?"

"No."

"I want to talk to my son."

Sighing, Elrond adjusted a fussing Aldarion in his arms. "Thranduil, I couldn't wake him up if I wanted to."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"He was exhausted; I gave him something to help him sleep. You'll just have to wait."

Thranduil sat back in his chair in annoyance. "Once more you have my son under your control; drugged and bound to your bed."

"Yes, Thranduil, because I just revel in seeing the person I love in pain," Elrond snapped unkindly.

This seemed to give the king pause for thought and he asked tentatively, "Pain?"

"The birth was extremely hard on him; he still suffers the consequences." Seeing that this news genuinely disturbed the king, Elrond explained in a softer voice, "Sometimes he pushes himself too hard and he doesn't get enough rest – and it's not good for him."

Elrond expected something more from the King of Mirkwood but Thranduil simply nodded mutely, his eyes looking down blankly at the carpet as if still digesting this new information. Respecting the king's need to think this through, Elrond sat quietly, focusing his attention on his son instead of the Lord of Mirkwood.

"What can I do?" Thranduil asked, looking up and catching Elrond's eyes.

"What…? I don't understand."

"Legolas. How do I get him back?"

**To Be Continued…**


	36. Unfriendly Advice

Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**Warning: ****If you don't know it by now…well…**

**OIOI**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who is still reading and for your reviews, I still love receiving them.**

**Only two more chapters left after this one before it's all over so enjoy while you can.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 36 ~ Unfriendly Advice**

**OIOI**

For a moment, Elrond could only stare in disbelief, hardly able to comprehend what the king was saying. Thranduil, mighty and proud lord and King of the Woodland Realm was asking him, Elrond Half-Elven, for help.

"You are asking me how you can win back your son's trust and affection after you ruthlessly abandoned him?" Elrond asked incredulously.

Almost painfully, Thranduil ground out, "Yes."

"My, how that must have damaged your pride, Majesty."

"Are you…?"

"I am not going to act as your emissary, Thranduil. I love Legolas and I won't – I can't – see him hurt again. However, you are still his father and I have to respect that even if you don't deserve it. I want to see him happy again more than anything so if you want to reach out to him and bridge the gap then I will support you but only because this distance you have created between the two of you is killing him. So, yes, I will help. But don't ever think for one second I am doing it for you."

Thranduil smiled grimly, "Feel better for getting that off your chest?"

"Hurt him and you'll never set foot in my realm again and I'll make sure that you never so much as look at him again."

After a moment of thought, Thranduil nodded. "I can accept that."

"Good. He can't take much more, Thranduil. He's not as strong as he likes to make out."

"Perhaps you're just not giving him enough credit."

"With all due respect, you haven't been around him lately and you have no clue what he's been through so perhaps you should refrain from commenting," Elrond told him sternly.

"Is this what I must endure for your help?"

"Given what you're asking, the price is not too steep."

"Fair point."

Elrond watched the king for a moment as if trying to deduce if he was sincere, unfazed by Thranduil's cold blue stare, which lacked any of his son's notable kindness. After a while, Elrond smiled softly and broke the gaze, not at all admitting defeat by looking away first. Standing carefully, the Lord of Imladris said, "When Legolas wakes, I'll let him know your request."

"I'll wait."

"No, you won't. He needs to sleep and I won't have you pouncing on him the moment he wakes up," the Elven lord told him firmly.

"I…"

"Go and do whatever it is you do when you visit my realm. I'll send for you when he's ready."

"Tonight?"

"It's getting late now, so probably not until tomorrow."

"Tomorrow then?"

"Worried you might change your mind overnight?"

"No."

"Then waiting a few extra hours won't hurt you," Elrond reasoned easily. "Get some rest and think very carefully about what you are going to say to your son. I'll talk to him and send for you."

Slowly, Thranduil rose from his chair, glancing towards the door behind which Legolas slept. Apparently, he thought better of doing anything irrational though and nodded in acceptance of Elrond's plan. "Very well, have it your way, Peredhel. See you tomorrow." With that, the king strode from the room, purposefully closing the door quietly, which Elrond gave him some small amount of credit for.

In the wake of the king's visit, Elrond settled Aldarion down again and laid him in his crib, letting his mobile entertain the baby into sleep. Meanwhile, Elrond went into the bedroom, leaving the nursery door open in case Aldarion started crying. Legolas remained deeply asleep but Elrond laid down on the bed, pressing close to the warmth of the prince's body. The blonde Elf shifted ever so slightly much remained in his much-needed, drug-induced sleep, which was exactly where Elrond wanted him to remain for as long as possible. He ran his fingers over Legolas' cheek, closing his eyes and satisfying himself with just feeling his love close to him.

The young Elf sighed softly and murmured something in his sleep, the slight disturbance prompting Elrond to open his eyes and look up. Legolas shifted ever so slightly and muttered something incoherent, so Elrond pressed a kiss against his blonde hair and whispered, "Shh, my love. Sleep."

Upon hearing the soft voice of his partner close by, Legolas quietened and was soon once more deeply asleep. Not wanting to disturb him again, Elrond laid still on the bed, listening to the soft, steady breathing.

**OIOI**

When Legolas opened his eyes, the bedroom was dark and at first he thought maybe Elrond had merely pulled the heavy drapes shut, blocking out the evening light but when he rolled onto his back, he bumped against a warm body and he glanced sideways, just able to make out Elrond laid asleep beside him. For Elrond to be asleep, it must be night-time. Legolas tried to work out how long exactly he had slept. He remembered Elrond dosing him with something and telling him to sleep and he had fallen almost immediately into an impenetrable darkness.

Legolas startled into awareness, realising in surprise that his eyes had managed to involuntarily slip closed again. He looked around and found that Elrond was no longer beside him, although the warm bedroom remained dark. He'd fallen back to sleep. Surely that wasn't normal even if Elrond's medicine had been potent. If only his mind didn't feel so utterly muddled maybe he could sort out his thoughts properly. He was just trying to gather enough energy to sit up when the lounge door opened carefully and Elrond appeared on bare, silent feet.

"You're awake," Elrond said softly when he saw a pair of dazed blue eyes watching him. He left the lounge open an inch to allow some of the light from there to illuminate the bedroom so he could at least see Legolas. "How do you feel?" he asked, sitting gracefully down on the edge of the bed.

"Elrond?" Legolas asked as a warm hand reached out to stroke his forehead.

The dark-haired Elf smiled at his love's obvious confusion. "Yes, melleth nin."

Legolas blinked lethargically up at him and tried to form a question of his own. It seemed to take far more effort than was normal. "What time is it?"

"Nearly three in the morning," Elrond answered mercifully simply and Legolas nodded. "How are you feeling now?"

With a deep frown, Legolas said, "Confused."

"It's all right; the medicine will probably take a while to wear off. You just need to sleep it off, that's all," the healer assured with a gentle smile as he squeezed Legolas' hand. "Would you like to get changed into something more comfortable?" he asked, realising Legolas still wore his clothes from the day. The prince nodded but made no move to get up, encouraging, "Come on, I'll give you a hand." He helped Legolas slowly sit up, pausing when the prince closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, clearly dizzy. "Take your time," Elrond advised in a whisper, his hand on the younger Elf's back in case his support was needed.

After taking a moment to regain his equilibrium, Legolas opened his eyes and shifted his legs over the edge of the bed, letting Elrond move the sheets aside. "Dizzy," he muttered.

"I know, melleth nin," Elrond said, helping the younger Elf to his feet. He was extremely unsteady and found himself leaning heavily against his partner. Elrond readjusted his arms around the prince, making sure he was well supported before they started walking. Almost instinctively, they headed toward the bathroom. Thanks to the drugs muddling his mind, Legolas couldn't decide whether he actually needed to use the bathroom but he followed anyway, having to put an unusual amount of effort into simply putting one foot in front of the other. Thankfully, Elrond remained at his side to substitute to his balance and his sense of direction. When they reached the bathroom, Elrond stepped over to light one of the lamps to see what they were doing but had to quickly move back to catch Legolas when he swayed dangerously on the spot, apparently the medicine had had a greater effect on him than expected and he was clearly still off balance.

"Steady," Elrond advised gently, holding Legolas close to his chest. "Get your balance first." For a minute, Legolas leaned heavily against him but then he stood up straight with a small nod. "All right, I'll give you a moment; find you some clothes to change into."

"Thank you," Legolas said, moving away, his words slightly slurred, Elrond noticed.

"Just yell if you need anything." Elrond moved back into the bedroom, leaving the door open a little just in case. He quickly snatched up some nightclothes from the drawer, picking out one of the huge shirts Legolas had worn during his pregnancy, hoping it wouldn't irritate his stomach too much now.

"Elrond?" Legolas' weary voice called from the bathroom and Elrond was through the door in a flash to find Legolas leant back against the wall. He was quickly at his side, one arm slipping around his waist.

"Are you done in here?" Elrond asked delicately and when Legolas nodded, he eased him away from the wall, pulling his arm over his shoulders and leading him back into the bedroom. "Sit," he instructed, helping Legolas to lower himself to the bed. Carefully, Elrond crouched down and started unbuttoning Legolas' trousers. The blonde Elrond reached down to grab Elrond's hand but the Elven lord merely pushed him away, assuring, "It's all right." Legolas made no further protest so Elrond continued. "Stand for a moment." Legolas actually helped in pushing his trousers down and pulling the clean ones up, although he had to lean on Elrond for support whilst doing so.

Once he was half clothed, Elrond guided the young Elf to sit back down then helped him pull on the large shirt. Realising that Legolas was still not sensible enough to do it himself, Elrond buttoned up the thin, loose shirt half-way.

"How does this feel now?" Elrond asked, laying the tips of his fingers lightly on Legolas' bandaged stomach.

The prince frowned slightly, as if trying to figure out how to answer correctly. All he could come up with was, "Sore."

Elrond nodded understandingly and pulled back. "I don't think it wise to give you anything more tonight. Just try to sleep. Not that I think that'll be too much of a problem," he mumbled with a smile, although Legolas merely blinked slowly at him. "Come and lay back down," the Lord of Imladris encouraged. Legolas very nearly tipped backwards but Elrond took him in his arms and eased him back instead to lie against the pillows. He moved down the bed and pulled Legolas' legs up before placing the covers back over him. "Go back to sleep, my love," he whispered, pressing a kiss to Legolas' forehead. The instruction went unheeded though as Legolas was simply incapable of keeping his eyes open and had already drifted back into his peaceful oblivion. With a smile, Elrond quickly poked his head into the nursery to check on Aldarion then climbed into bed beside his prince.

**OIOI**

Bright sunlight stung Legolas' eyes when he tried to open them and he winced slightly. Deciding that being awake just wasn't worth the trouble, Legolas rolled over, wrapping the sheets around himself and burying his face in the soft warmth of his pillow. Yes, sleep was far preferable. Just as he was falling back into comforting darkness, Legolas felt gentle fingers brushing against his scalp and running through his hair. The comforting motion felt so good that when the fingers returned, he subtly moved towards the touch. He heard a soft chuckle from beside him and recognised the sound as Elrond. Although he considered sitting up to look at his partner he found that he was just too comfortable to move from the bed. Elrond didn't seem to mind much as his fingers continued combing through his hair until he was once again floating in that pleasant space between sleep and full wakefulness.

A soft tap at the half-open door made Elrond look up from what he was writing. As Glorfindel stepped in, Elrond's fingers stilled against Legolas' soft hair.

"He's outside again; just waiting in the corridor," Glorfindel complained softly, taking in Elrond sat cross-legged on the bed, half working on the papers in front of him and half watching Legolas.

"Thranduil," Elrond whispered, glancing down to the golden prince at his side.

"He says he wants to see his son. I don't know how much longer we'll be able to keep him out without resorting to using the guards to physically restrain him.

"Then physically restrain him. He's not up to it yet," Elrond snapped at his seneschal. The blonde Elda realised that his attempt to convince his lord to at least speak to the King of Mirkwood had failed and bowed slightly before backing out of the room.

With Glorfindel gone, Elrond pushed aside his papers and laid down on his side, his head propped up on his hand so he could watch his love sleep. Although almost completely buried under the sheets, the top of the prince's golden head was visible, nestled up against the pillow.

"I wish I could…take this back, melleth nin," Elrond whispered, the fingertips of his free hand brushing against Legolas' hair again even though Legolas was too deep asleep to notice this time.

It wasn't too long before Legolas woke again, this time feeling far less comfortable. The pleasant fog had cleared from his mind and when his mind came back to awareness, everything seemed to be far sharper than before and he could once more feel the uncomfortable aching in his stomach and now also in his head. He was still buried beneath the covers although he was colder than before. He could no longer feel Elrond beside him and it was this revelation that made him force his eyes open. It was dark and for a moment he panicked but he almost laughed at himself when he realised that it was merely the sheets over his head blocking out the light. He pulled the cover down and poked his head out, blinking slowly at the light.

At the slight but distinct movement, Elrond was once more back at his side, a smile on his face.

"You're awake at last. How are you feeling?" Elrond asked quietly, perching on the edge of the bed and placing his hand against Legolas' cheek.

"What time is it?" Legolas croaked out as he struggled to sit up.

"Nearly four in the afternoon. You slept all day," Elrond answered softly.

"Oh."

"Let me get you some water." Elrond quickly got up and poured him some water from the pitcher on the table. He handed the glass to Legolas, who downed it all in one go, realising how thirsty he was. "Feel better?" Elrond smiled again as Legolas nodded, accompanied by a large, gaping yawn. "Do you still feel dizzy?"

"No. Just…" Legolas shook his head, not quite knowing how to describe the feeling.

"Disorientated?" Elrond offered and Legolas nodded in confirmation. "I'm not surprised."

"What did you give me?" Legolas asked, running his hand over his face.

"Nothing more than usual. You must have been exhausted for it to knock you out for twenty-four hours straight," the Elven lord said, tucking a few stray strands of golden hair behind Legolas' ear. "I suspect it did you good though – once you wake up a little more."

"Is Aldarion…?"

"Elena is feeding him. He's fine," Elrond assured quickly. "I am far more concerned about you right now anyway. Tell me truthfully, how is the pain?"

Legolas actually considered this for a moment before answering, "Not completely back to normal but better than it was."

"Good. I want you to continue to rest though, all right?"

"Elrond…is my father…?"

"Don't worry about that right now. You can deal with him later. You need to concentrate on yourself; not Thranduil."

"He must be giving you a hard time."

"No more than usual," Elrond sighed. "Even so, I don't want you to worry about it."

"Well, I can't avoid him forever," Legolas said softly, his long, lightly shaking fingers tracing the subtle print on the quilt covering him.

"I suppose not." The Elven lord considered this for a moment then smiled softly to himself. "Just give yourself tonight. Sleep the rest of that medicine off and then if you feel up to it in the morning we can go and talk to Thranduil. Deal?"

"Sounds fair," Legolas said with a weak smile, leaning back against his pillows. "Elrond, can I hold Aldarion? I need him close."

"Of course. Wait here, I'll go get him."

Within moments, Elrond was laying the baby in Legolas' waiting arms. The prince's previously weak smile immediately broadened and he soon found himself rocking Aldarion, singing a quiet lullaby to his son. Elrond, meanwhile, went off to get his partner something to eat and drink, leaving Legolas to have a moment alone with their child.

**OIOI**

"If you need a break or don't want to continue, just say the word and he's gone, all right?"

"All right," Legolas assured, smiling at his partner's protectiveness. He was grateful for it. After his most recent bout of illness, the young Elf had to admit that he felt completely drained of energy. That morning he had barely had enough strength to get out of bed so – after a lengthy discussion about whether facing Thranduil today was a good idea or not – Elrond had helped him into the chair in the warm lounge where he now sat waiting to once more face his father.

"You're sure you want to do this?" Elrond asked once more.

"Positive. I have to face him eventually. What's the point of putting it off?"

"The point is that you're not well. Maybe this will be easier if we waited a while until you're feeling better," Elrond prodded once more.

"It'll never be easy, no matter what."

"'_Easier_,' I said," the Elven lord stressed. "But as long as you're sure."

"Will you please just let him in before I change my mind?" Legolas said, trying – and for the most part failing – to keep his tone light and humourless.

Elrond chuckled softly. "All right." He went to the door and quickly fetched Thranduil, who was waiting outside in the corridor, pacing impatiently. He paused and glanced up at Elrond when he appeared. Completely unfazed by Thranduil's cold blue stare, attempting to pierce him, Elrond held the door open. "You can come in."

Straightening out his robe pointedly, Thranduil held his head high and strode past Elrond into the lounge where he immediately came to a stop upon seeing his son sat in one of the two armchairs near the roaring fire, looking far more tired and pale than last time he had seen him. He heard Elrond softly closing the door but knew fully well that the Elven lord would not leave and he was correct as the Lord of Imladris walked on silent feet to stand discreetly beside the prince.

Shaking off his surprise at the rather dishevelled state of his son, Thranduil carefully schooled his features and said softly, "Legolas." A rather lame greeting, true, but all he could come up with.

"My Lord."

Thranduil could have openly winced at the cold, formal address but he had no intention of displaying any further emotion in front of his lost son. Besides, it was no more than he deserved.

"How are you?" the king asked.

"Fine, thank you." An automatic response that he had used so many times before, even in Mirkwood and it clearly convinced no one.

"Please, sit," Elrond finally offered, gesturing to the couch. Thranduil ignored the invitation and instead moved to sit back in the second chair facing his son. Clearly, this didn't go down too well with the couple as Elrond's features tightened and Legolas shifted uncomfortably in his chair, glancing briefly up at his partner. "Can I get you some tea, Your Majesty?" Elrond mercifully broke the awkward silence.

"Thank you," the king nodded.

Elrond quickly poured three mugs of tea from the pot on the table between them. He handed a cup to Thranduil first then returned to Legolas' side. The king repressed a frown as his son took the cup from Elrond with a hand that shook so much that the Elven lord was prompted to reach out to steady the cup and ease it to rest against Legolas' leg so it was more secure.

"So…" Thranduil started but couldn't think of anything further to say. In his position as king he had grown used to speaking confidently with all manner of people in whatever language was required and yet now he couldn't conjure up the words. Legolas, it appeared, was in no mood to help him along either. The young Elf sat staring vacantly down at his tea. Elrond didn't help either, although honestly, Thranduil expected nothing from the Half-Elven anyway.

Just when Thranduil thought that the excruciating silence was going to last until he finally gave up and ran from the room in defeat, Legolas looked up from his cup, tired blue eyes unexpectedly meeting those of his father.

"Would you…would you like to meet your grandson?" Legolas asked hesitantly.

"I…I don't know. I mean, if you…you don't mind."

Legolas shook his head softly but it was Elrond who acted. "Elena," he called over his shoulder.

A moment later, a door off to the side opened cautiously and a young, dark-haired Elf maiden stepped into the lounge. What made Thranduil sit up straight though was the small wriggling bundle in her arms. Keeping her eyes averted, the maiden offered Thranduil a vague, uncertain bow then hurried forward to place the baby in Legolas' waiting arms. Those hands that had just moments ago trembled uncontrollably were completely confident holding his son and Thranduil couldn't help but admire him for that. He remembered, after hours of screaming agony, his wife had held a tiny baby in her arms and as Thranduil took him, he'd been so afraid that the slightest movement would break the fragile little life. And yet little Legolas had settled so easily in his father's strong arms. Right there and then, Thranduil had vowed to always protect his tiny son. How much things had changed over the years.

"This is Aldarion," Legolas said softly, although his eyes remained on the squirming baby instead of his father.

"An unusual name," was all Thranduil could think of to say.

"It seemed appropriate. A reminder of his heritage," Elrond said proudly.

"His heritage?" Thranduil relied coldly. "'Son of the Trees'?"

Elrond turned cold eyes to the king whilst Legolas seemed to deflate even further. "Is there a problem with that?" he ground out challengingly.

"I would have thought 'Son of Rivendell' would have been more appropriate."

"I couldn't agree more."

Before the Lord of Imladris could take a threatening step forward, Legolas reached out and laid his hand on his love's arm. "Elrond, please."

Although Elrond obviously wanted to physically confront Thranduil, he wisely remained by Legolas' side, protectively.

Finally, Legolas raised his eyes to meet his father's and Thranduil was surprised to see how desolate and lost he appeared all of a sudden. "You said you wanted to speak with me," he prompted.

Thranduil nodded, sitting up straight in his chair. "Yes, I did. Could you excuse us?" he said to Elrond.

Uncaring about what Thranduil wanted, Elrond instead looked down to the prince but Legolas shook his head uncertainly, not wanting to be left alone with the king. "I'm not going anywhere," Elrond stated, laying his hand on Legolas' tense shoulder.

"This is a private matter between me and my son," Thranduil ground out menacingly.

"No, it's not. Legolas wants me to stay so I'm staying," Elrond maintained defensively.

Although Thranduil glared at them both in annoyance he decided that it probably wasn't really worth arguing about it. "Very well. You know, Legolas, I am very disappointed in you. You have walked away from your life, abandoned your family and friends and I want to know right now that you feel bad about all the pain you have caused," Thranduil got straight to his point.

There was genuine surprise in Legolas' voice when he said, "Excuse me?"

"You abandoned your duties, Legolas. I need an apology from you before we can continue along this route."

"_You_ need an apology?"

"What did you expect?"

"I…"

"You walked away from your kingdom but to their credit our people are willing to forgive you and let you return to your rightful home."

"Return…? You wish for me to come home?"

"That is why you summoned me, is it not?" Without waiting for a response from his son, Thranduil continued, "Now, I am not sure about the child but perhaps we can negotiate visiting times…"

"Get out," Legolas said under his breath.

"What?"

"Get out!"

"Legolas…You told me to come here. I thought you wanted to sort this out."

"I did."

"Well then, I am afraid if you want to return to Mirkwood you're going to have to make a few concessions," Thranduil said as if he was being effortlessly reasonable.

"Like giving up my child?"

"It will be safe in Rivendell."

"Are you trying to be purposefully hurtful, Thranduil," Elrond ground out.

"This is between me and my son. Keep your mouth shut, Half-Elven," the king snapped.

"Get out," Legolas said again, a little more forcefully.

"What do you want, Legolas? Really. Tell me what you want from me," Thranduil suddenly shouted, slamming his hand down on the arm of his chair.

"I…I…"

"Pull yourself together and stop stuttering," the king commanded.

Legolas closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I want you to leave. I want you to get out and never come back here. I honestly thought for one stupid moment that you might actually have some fatherly love for me in your heart but clearly I was deluding myself once again. Now I want you to leave and leave me and my family alone."

"You asked me to come here; you wanted to negotiate."

"I wanted to reconnect, not negotiate my return to Mirkwood."

"What is it you think I'm trying to do?"

"You're doing what you always do: bully everyone into doing everything your way and completely disregarding what other people want."

"Fine. Tell me what you want, Legolas," Thranduil said almost in defeat, slumping back in his chair.

Swallowing thickly in an attempt to dislodge the lump in his throat, Legolas said, "I want to be able to live with my partner and my baby without losing my father. I want my son to get to know his grandfather and I want you to love him for what he is. I want you to be proud of me." Legolas' voice had drifted off to merely a whisper as he ended and his eyes had once more wandered down to the baby now resting peacefully in his arms. He then looked up to meet Thranduil's cool gaze, tears in his own eyes, and whispered, "I want you to be proud of what I have done."

Deafening silence followed this. Thranduil remained staring at his son as if he were a complete stranger but Elrond had lowered his hands to Legolas' shoulders and offered a small reassuring squeeze, prepared for whatever was coming next. He would always be there for the prince when Thranduil inevitably failed him; he'd sworn that a long time ago and he wasn't going to fail his love now.

"I am proud of you, Legolas," Thranduil finally spoke, his tone matching his son's. Beneath his hands, Elrond felt Legolas' shoulders noticeably relax. However, Thranduil was not done yet. "But I cannot be proud of what you have done. You made this choice and for once in your life you must deal with the consequences of that choice," the king continued, his voice now harder. "The choice is very simple: you can have this…family you have created in Rivendell or you can have me but you cannot have both."

The absolute devastation that flowed from every pore of Legolas' body and soul was so potent that Elrond felt it coming off him in waves.

"You're asking me to choose between my son and my father," Legolas said in a choked voice.

"Why don't you take some time to think it over?" Thranduil asked reasonably, going to stand up.

Legolas shook his head softly. "I don't need to think it over," he said before Thranduil could turn to leave. Despite Legolas' unconditional love for his son, Elrond's heart pounded hard in his chest as he waited, tensed and silent, for the young Elf's reply. "I know what I want." Legolas tilted his head to look up at Elrond, who offered him a small, reassuring smile. "I want to be with the person who had always been there for me, I don't want to feel afraid that I'll be alone again, I want to be with someone who will love me unconditionally."

"I see," Thranduil said blandly.

Although it wasn't strictly necessary, Legolas felt that he had to actually say the words. "I want to be with Elrond," he said with a certainty he didn't know he possessed.

Elrond squeezed tensed shoulders again, finally able to breathe once more, although pangs of sadness tainted his relief.

"You choose that…mongrel over your own father," the king accused.

Despite the fact that Elrond stiffened at the insult, Legolas nodded softly. "He may be half human but he has a better heart and better soul than your pure blood could ever possess. Now, I think you should leave and never come back."

"If that is what you want," Thranduil ground out. "Goodbye." He didn't wait for a response from his son before striding from the room and slamming the door behind him.

There was a deep, tense silence in the wake of Thranduil's exit. Elrond stood staring angrily at the door through which Thranduil had just walked out whilst Legolas had his eyes on his son once more, rocking him carefully, although Elrond was sure that Aldarion was oblivious. After a moment, Elrond snapped out of his surprised silence and looked down in concern at Legolas. He came around to the front of the chair and reached for Aldarion.

"Let me take him for a moment," he said gently, taking Aldarion from Legolas' unresponsive arms. He then carried the baby over to Elena, who had been waiting nervously in the corner. "Could you put him to bed for me," he asked softly, handing the tiny Elfling over to her.

"Yes, my Lord," she answered in a trembling voice, clearly shaken by the scene she had just witnessed. After casting a saddened look over at Legolas, who had barely moved an inch, Elena gratefully retreated back into the far safer nursery.

Now they were alone, Elrond crouched down in front of Legolas and laid his hands on the golden Elf's knees to gain his attention. "Melleth nin?" he said softly, making Legolas look into his eyes at last. "Legolas, listen to me. If you…if you want to patch things up with your father …you can go with him back to Mirkwood. You could try to reconnect with him and get him to accept Aldarion," he suggested.

Legolas shook his head though. "No, I can't."

"Don't not do it simply because you're afraid of upsetting me. Please. He is your father, Legolas; that has to count for something."

"He doesn't want it," the prince said, his voice cracking slightly.

"He's angry."

"I…I can't do this anymore," Legolas admitted quietly, lowering his head. As he ran his hands over his face, he said, "I'm so tired, Elrond. I can't do it anymore. I…I just…I just want to rest."

Reaching up to stroke Legolas' arm, Elrond murmured sympathetically, "And if there is anyone on Arda who deserves that, it's you, melleth nin. Why don't I help you back to bed? Then I'll make sure Thranduil leaves without incident. Come on." He took Legolas' hand and helped him out of his chair. Leading the still stunned prince into their bedroom, Elrond helped him ease himself down to lie on the bed. "I'll be back in a while, melleth nin." He pressed a kiss onto a tear-stained cheek then stood to leave.

Once he had escaped the oppressive atmosphere of his own rooms, Elrond strode through the halls, his fury growing with every step. Immediately, he knew where Thranduil was staying because the ever-paranoid king had his own guards outside his rooms. They stood to attention to prevent Elrond from entering but the Lord of Imladris was in no mood for games.

"Move aside or I'll have you removed," Elrond practically growled and it had the desired effect. Throwing the door open so hard it shook the walls, Elrond headed straight for where Thranduil was throwing his clothes into a travelling bag. "You arrogant, selfish bastard!" he yelled, grabbing the startled king and shoving him hard back against the wall. "You want to feel superior, Thranduil? You want to control someone? Try it on me!" Elrond shouted, pulling Thranduil back a little just so he could slam him against the wall again.

"Get your filthy hands off me, Half-Elven," the king commanded, attempting and failing to push Elrond away.

"You are the most despicable, cruel, vile creature that has ever crawled over this earth," Elrond spat out coldly, ignoring the Mirkwood guards hovering behind him, ready to intercede should things get too out of hand. "I wish that you could see for just one moment what you have done."

"He made his decision. I have done nothing," the king said coldly.

"You disgust me!" Elrond shouted, shoving the king again. "You're destroying him, Thranduil! You've torn him to pieces, broken him beyond repair and you just don't care. You should be ashamed of yourself."

Still annoyingly calm, Thranduil responded, "I gave him a fair choice."

"You or his son?"

"Get your hands off me," the king demanded, futilely reaching for Elrond's hands, which were fisted around the king's shirt.

"You really don't give a damn about him, do you?" Thranduil just stubbornly raised his eyes and it was not the response Elrond had been looking for. "Your own son and you honestly don't care. You stupid… He loves you. For some unfathomable reason that kind, forgiving soul still loves you and it kills him that you don't love him back."

"How dare you…"

"Shut up! He has given his everything for the happiness of others, then the one thing he craves for himself, the love and respect of his father, you deny him. You don't deserve him, Thranduil, you know that? You don't deserve even a second of his sadness. You disgust me."

"Are you finished?" Thranduil asked coolly.

After a moment of staring into icy blue eyes, Elrond nodded, loosening his grip. "Yes, I'm finished. Now get out of my realm and never set foot here ever again. Hurt him again and not even the entire Mirkwood army will be able to protect you from me," Elrond snarled, stepping back and for the first time noticing Elladan, Elrohir and Glorfindel standing in the doorway. "Escort Thranduil to the edge of our borders," Elrond commanded as he stormed past them.

"With pleasure, my Lord," Glorfindel said with a ghost of a smile.

Thankfully, by the time Elrond approached his rooms, his temper had cooled a little but he still paused outside the door to ensure he was completely calm before he joined Legolas and his son. When he opened the door, Elrond found Elena sat in tears on the couch although she quickly tried to cover it up when her lord entered.

"Are you all right, Elena?" he asked gently, pushing the door closed behind him.

"Yes, my Lord," she replied shakily, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

Sitting down on the opposite couch, Elrond sighed heavily, suddenly feeling extremely weary. "I know that Thranduil can be rather intimidating sometimes."

Elena shook her head sadly. "It's not that."

"Then what?" the Elven lord probed gently.

"It's just…the way he…spoke to Prince Legolas. How can anyone be so cruel?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly. She put her hands over her face to hide her tears. "Sorry, sir."

"No, it's all right. Truthfully, he shook me up a little as well," Elrond assured her, reaching over to place his hand on Elena's knee. "Why don't you go home for the day; I'll take care of Aldarion. You have done more than your duty these past couple of days."

"Are you sure you don't need me?"

"No. Go and get some rest. We'll let you know when you're needed again."

Standing up with her lord, Elena smiled shakily, "Thank you, sir."

"Goodbye Elena." She offered him a quick bow before hurrying out of the room, seemingly grateful to be away from the stifling atmosphere that had descended. If only Elrond could escape it so easily but his responsibility laid with Legolas right then and he couldn't – _wouldn't_ – walk away. Preparing himself for what was coming next, Elrond stepped quietly into the bedroom. As expected, Legolas remained lying on the bed, partially curled up on his side, but he wasn't asleep, rather just staring blankly at the wall, deep in thought. Elrond sat on the edge of the bed, stroking gently up and down Legolas' arm. "Are you all right, melleth nin?" he asked in a concerned whisper. Legolas nodded mutely, his eyes never leaving the wall almost as if he was left in a daze after what had recently been said. "Is there anything I can get you?"

Finally, Legolas shifted his eyes to look almost pleadingly up at his partner. "Put me to sleep again.

A look of surprise flashed across Elrond's face at the request. Above all, Legolas despised being drugged senseless, so the sudden desire to be knocked out was a little disconcerting.

"Are you in a lot of pain?" Elrond asked softly, stroking Legolas' hair back.

The younger Elf closed his eyes but shook his head. His hand came to rest on his chest and he just whispered, "Only here."

Elrond sighed softly, laying his hand over Legolas', which covered his heart. "Just try and relax. You know I can't drug you simply to make you forget." Legolas did know and he nodded weakly, uttering a quiet apology under his breath. "It's all right. You just rest. I'm going to get some tea for the both of us. Stay right here."

Before the older Elf could move though, Legolas' hand tightened around his own. "Don't ever leave me," he pleaded in a choked voice.

"I won't; I promise you that, melleth nin," Elrond smiled, bending down to kiss Legolas' cheek softly. "I'm never going to leave you, all right?"

"I love you," the prince breathed, tears slipping from his eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere," Elrond assured a little more firmly. "So you just relax and stop worrying, do you hear?" Legolas nodded so Elrond leaned down and tenderly wiped Legolas' tears away with long, delicate fingers. "It'll be all right. Close your eyes and try and sleep for a while," he whispered, kissing Legolas' cheek then stroking his hair back as the young Elf followed his partner's advice. "I'll be right back."

Carefully, Elrond slipped off the bed and quietly left the room. He wasn't too surprised to find Glorfindel was waiting for him in the lounge. Elrond offered him a grim smile then turned to gently close the bedroom door behind him.

"I just thought that you would want to know that Thranduil has left the House. Your sons are tailing him and his people to ensure they leave Imladris."

"Thank you, Glorfindel. I appreciate it," Elrond sighed, sitting down heavily in the nearest chair.

"Can I ask how Prince Legolas is?"

Elrond nodded, rubbing his hand down his face. "Well, after that sadistic monster…" He took a deep breath, forcing himself to keep his calm. "He's upset, of course. Tired, confused."

"That is understandable."

"I suppose. I just…I should have listened to you, mellon nin," Elrond confessed, resting his head back.

"About what?"

"A few months ago when I ordered you to send that letter to Mirkwood, you warned me that it was a bad idea but I didn't heed your advice. If only I had, Legolas would never have had to suffer through all this unnecessary pain."

Sitting down opposite his old friend, Glorfindel shook his head. "Don't do that to yourself. He was in pain anyway. You had to offer him the opportunity to work it out with Thranduil. If it's not possible then it's not your fault. Perhaps it was simply too much to ask for the king to be reasonable about this," Glorfindel offered wisely. "You did the right thing, Elrond and no one could ask for anything more."

"What do I do now?" Elrond asked, almost begging for an answer. "I spent months trying to repair the damage Thranduil had done in the first place and now he's gone and destroyed it all again."

"Then do exactly what you did before. Legolas will just need some time."

Elrond nodded thoughtfully. "Time. At least we have plenty of that."

**To Be Continued…**


	37. As Time Goes By

Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**A/N: Ok, here we go: penultimate chapter, folks. Thanks for all your reviews, keep them coming. Enjoy the chapter!**

**OIOIOI**

**Chapter 37 ~ As Time Goes By**

**OIOI**

It seemed like centuries ago that Legolas had first stumbled into Imladris' grand entrance hall, exhausted and weak, begging to be granted asylum by the Lord Glorfindel. Elrond couldn't help but wonder at how much things had changed. Granted, those first couple of months after King Thranduil's departure from Rivendell and his son's life had been desperately hard on all of them. It was as if all the joy and contentment had been drained from the young prince in the wake of his father's abandonment. Elrond still wasn't exactly certain how he had managed to pull the prince out of his depression that had followed. It certainly hadn't been easy but somehow they had come through it and under the Peredhel family's careful attention, Legolas had finally come to truly believe that Imladris was where he belonged. This past month, as summer descended on the sanctuary, it seemed as if everything had finally settled down again and the blonde Elf seemed far more contented with his new life. Their son had also settled, sleeping far better than before, meaning that Legolas also got the rest he needed to begin to properly heal. He would never be as he once was – his body incapable of recovering from the trauma of birth – but he did seem to be better of late, no doubt primarily due to Elrond's strict enforcement of no strenuous exercise and regular afternoon naps.

"Would you two please be careful?" Elrond called out in warning from beneath the tree he was sat under, watching his twin sons paddling in the river with their baby brother put him strangely on edge. Of course he trusted them completely but the over-protective parent in him took over. Elladan waved his assurance that everything was fine but retreated back to the riverbank with Aldarion.

"Relax, melleth nin. They're fine," Legolas' soft voice murmured.

Elrond smiled and looked down at the golden Elf, who was laid out on the grass, his head pillowed on Elrond's lap, enjoying the warmth of the sunshine. "I know. Just being cautious," Elrond promised, stroking Legolas' cheek gently. Bright blue eyes opened to look up at Elrond. "Nice doze?" The prince nodded, stretching out his long limbs on the grass. "Good because the chef packed so much food and somebody has to eat it," Elrond laughed, motioning to the food spread out on the blanket laid nearby.

"You were the one who insisted on bringing it all plus the birthday cake," Legolas pointed out. "Aldarion can't even eat cake yet."

"True, but Elladan and Elrohir can," he grinned. Legolas laughed softly but returned his gaze towards the river where all four of Elrond's children were playing in the cool water. Of course, Aldarion remained safely in his sibling's arms, laughing as they splashed in the river. Elrond's fingers had started combing gently through Legolas' hair, very nearly lulling him back into sleep. He hadn't felt so comfortable in a long time. "You know, I was thinking earlier, what with everything that has been going on, we completely missed your birthday this year," Elrond said in a soft voice, watching as Legolas relaxed again.

"I had honestly forgotten," Legolas admitted with a slight frown. He shrugged though. "It doesn't matter."

"No, but I feel bad," Elrond continued, now caressing Legolas' cheek lovingly. "So I was thinking that maybe tonight I could make it up to you, give you a belated present."

Legolas' previously disinterested eyes glistened at the implication. "Really?" he smiled indulgently. "What kind of present were you thinking of?"

The Elven lord withdrew his hand, a huge grin spreading over his face. "It is a surprise."

Legolas' face sobered somewhat as he replied, "I'm not that fond of surprises anymore." Valar knows, he had enough surprises in the past couple of years.

"Don't worry, it's a pleasant surprise, I promise," Elrond said softly, a touch of concern in his voice now as he again stroked through Legolas' hair.

"Then maybe I can grow to like surprises after all," Legolas smiled, purposefully lightening the mood again.

"Good." Elrond rested back against the tree trunk he was laid against with a sigh. Watching Elladan and Elrohir, Arwen and Aldarion, he suddenly felt complete. He had Legolas and his children; that was all that mattered in the world right then.

As evening descended, Legolas went over to the river and retrieved his son from Elrohir's arms, wrapping him up in a thick, warm towel and ignoring his cries of protest. The twins and Arwen decided to remain on the riverbank whilst their father and Legolas took Aldarion indoors. Once back in the warmth of their rooms, Elrond banished Legolas to the lounge so he could prepare the surprise whilst the young Elf bathed their child by the fire.

After he had cleaned Aldarion up, Legolas quickly dressed him in warm clothes and carried the sleepy Elfling into the nursery. "There you go, penneth," he whispered, laying Aldarion down in his crib and tucking the blankets around him. Sitting down in the rocking chair, Legolas watched as Aldarion's eyes grew heavy and he slowly fell asleep. Legolas had always found that he felt most at ease in the nursery, especially at night when the baby slept peacefully under the protection of his doting parents.

Standing back up, Legolas stood over the crib, smiling down at his son. Carefully, he stroked his son's warm, soft cheek, being careful not to disturb him. As he watched the quick but steady rise and fall of the small chest, strong arms wrapped around him and he felt Elrond's body pressed against him.

"Your surprise is ready," Elrond whispered in Legolas' ear, pressing a kiss to the smooth neck.

"He's beautiful, isn't he?" the prince said, nodding to their son.

"Yes, he is." For a moment, they both just looked adoringly at their baby but then Elrond returned his attention to Legolas and breathed, "And so are you, my love. Come, I want to give you your gift now." He stepped back and eased Legolas away from the crib and out of the nursery. He guided the younger Elf into their bedroom and pulled him to the bed. "Sit," he commanded with a smile.

"Are you going to tell me what the surprise is yet?" Legolas asked as Elrond moved away to the dresser.

"Just a little while longer," Elrond smiled, revealing a silk scarf.

"What?"

"Relax, melleth." Elrond leaned forward, carefully blindfolding the young Elf who chuckled nervously. "All right. Stand." He took Legolas' hands and helped him up, leading him slowly towards the bathroom. Although Legolas was at first reluctant, he trusted Elrond completely to lead him safely, so he followed without comment. Elrond stopped in the middle of the bathroom, half closing the door behind him. "You trust me?"

"Of course," Legolas insisted truthfully.

"Good," Elrond grinned, moving closer and slowly unbuttoning Legolas' shirt.

"Elrond, what are you doing?" the prince laughed softly as Elrond moved around him to slip the shirt off Legolas' shoulders.

"Shh, shh…Just relax," Elrond whispered gently before pressing a kiss onto Legolas' cheek. The prince smiled silently, deciding to just play along with whatever Elrond had in mind. Elrond's soft, warm hands reached around him, smoothing over his exposed torso, savouring every last contour and paying particular attention to the scar that marred his abdomen. When Legolas shivered slightly at the touch, Elrond moved closer to pepper kisses down the length of his neck and over his shoulder. "It's all right, my love," Elrond whispered gently, his hands gliding downwards to unfasten Legolas' trousers, letting them fall. "Step out," the Elven lord instructed and Legolas did as he was told, allowing his partner to guide him. "Walk forward a little."

"Elrond…" Legolas laughed as Elrond took his hands.

"Step up a…" the Elven lord started but then seemed to reconsider his own request and Legolas suddenly felt himself being swept up into strong, confident arms. "Just trust me."

"I'd be able to relax better if you told me…" Legolas was cut off as he felt himself being gently lowered into warm water. This was Elrond's big surprise? A bath? "What…?"

"Keep it on," Elrond's light voice warned when he saw Legolas reaching up to pull off the silk blindfold.

"All right," Legolas laughed musically, lowering his hands into the water. He heard a soft rustling and then suddenly Elrond was sat in the bath behind him and those familiar arms pulled him back to rest against Elrond's firm body. This time, Legolas didn't need to be told to relax, it happened automatically and all the tension drained from his body.

Apparently, Elrond had more in mind that night than simply taking a bath as his hands continued exploring Legolas' body even beneath the water. Soft lips fluttered against his skin and soon Legolas found himself arching into the doting touches, giving himself over completely to his partner. Elrond's touches, although achingly sensual, were always reverential. The last thing he wanted was to make Legolas feel uncomfortable. It had been a long time since they had indulged in this aspect of their relationship. Somehow they had never found the right opportunity but tonight Elrond was determined to reignite that dampened flame and from the way Legolas' body was responding to the touches, he felt the same way.

As Elrond's hands gently caressed every accessible inch of his love's body, Legolas responded in turn, soft, longing moans escaping his slightly parted lips.

"I love you so much," Elrond breathed in Legolas' ear, making him shudder slightly. Legolas was only able to mutter something incoherent in return, making Elrond smile. Eventually, Legolas got fed up of being entirely passive and ran his hands up Elrond's legs, which were practically wrapped around the blonde. Elrond laughed softly, allowing the contact, but not ceasing in his own loving touches. It seemed that Legolas was growing impatient even with this though as he suddenly grabbed Elrond's wandering hands and then blindly twisted himself around in the bath so he was now face to face with the Elven lord even though he couldn't actually see anything through his blindfold. Elrond laughed again but rested his hands on Legolas' waist to support him in case he got disorientated but apparently this was the last thing troubling Legolas as he was already pressing himself close. Given that he couldn't see anything, Elrond was surprised to find Legolas' almost desperate lips pressed against his demanding attention.

"Melleth…" Elrond breathed when they parted, stilling Legolas' hands again. "Perhaps we should move this to the bedroom."

Legolas' soft lips were now dotingly kissing whatever piece of exposed skin he could find but he managed to speak. "Not yet." Elrond grinned at this, leaning back as Legolas' hands started wandering over Elrond's body in the same way as his had done just now. Apparently, his partner wanted to play.

Despite his new-found frisky nature, Legolas didn't draw it out too much longer. As their passions rose further, Legolas finally broke Elrond's rules and pulled his blindfold off so he could properly look at his partner.

"Ready now?" Elrond laughed softly and Legolas seemed to calm himself enough to nod. Still holding onto each other, they climbed out of the water but didn't bother to dry off, instead heading straight for the bedroom, moving in complete unison.

When they reached the bed, Elrond took control again and eased his prince down onto the sheets, kissing him hard again. He climbed onto the bed, quickly making certain that Legolas was still comfortable on the mattress. However, Legolas' passion and wild eyes had sobered somewhat and he suddenly looked nervous.

"Are you all right, melleth nin?" Elrond breathed.

"Yes," Legolas' hoarse voice croaked out.

"We can stop if you want. We don't have to go any further," Elrond assured softly, his deft fingers working through slightly damp blonde hair.

"You…you want this?" Legolas asked, running his hand over Elrond's naturally toned chest.

"Don't worry about me. Is it what _you_ want?"

"I…I don't know," Legolas confessed quietly. Inwardly, he was cursing himself. Just moments ago he had been so certain what he wanted. He wanted Elrond. He wanted to be entirely surrounded by that love he'd grown so used to their relationship previously. At various times during the pregnancy and even afterwards he had longed for, even craved, this and yet now he hesitated. What was he afraid of? Surely not his old post-pregnancy fear that Elrond no longer desired him? After all, Elrond's actions so far this night had proved that he still wanted this to happen. He sighed deeply and covered his eyes with his hand. "I'm sorry; I'm ruining your night."

Elrond shook his head and climbed off his partner, instead lying down on the bed beside him. "Don't worry about that."

Tears of shame and frustration stung his eyes, making him feel even worse. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Shh. Don't apologise," Elrond assured, caressing Legolas' cheek tenderly. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to, all right?"

"I don't know what…"

"You don't have to explain. It's all right," the Elven lord whispered.

Daring to look over at Elrond, Legolas said, "I want to, I really do, but…"

"Perhaps we have been taking things too fast," Elrond suggested seriously. "I shouldn't have pushed you into this without discussing it with you first."

"No," Legolas said, shaking his head then moving closer to Elrond again. "It was…I am so sorry, Elrond." He felt Elrond press a kiss into his hair and he felt himself relaxing again. "I want this," he finally decided, moving sharply so he was propped up on one elbow and looking down at his dark-haired partner.

Elrond also moved though, sitting up straight. "We don't have to, Legolas. It's all right."

A rather more tentative hand was placed against Elrond's chest and moved slowly downwards, a sign that Legolas truly did want this to continue. "I want to," the prince breathed, his eyes now devouring Elrond's body again.

Elrond smiled indulgently and grasped Legolas' other hand, which still rested against the bed. "How about we take things a little more slowly this time?" he suggested softly, fighting to ignore Legolas' lingering touch for the time being and leaning down to place a kiss on waiting lips. When they broke apart again, Legolas nodded almost gratefully before reaching up and pulling Elrond down to him again.

After those first few careful, tentative moments, the pair fell into an easy and familiar rhythm. Elrond was, even through the intensity of his passion, constantly but discreetly checking that his partner was well, but Legolas seemed to have moved past his doubts and urged Elrond on when he would turn suddenly hesitant.

**OIOI**

The morning light shining on him woke Elrond from the most peaceful sleep he had enjoyed in months. By the position of the shadows, he could tell it was getting late in the morning but in the soft bed he was simply too comfortable to even think of moving. Not that he could have gotten up even if he had wanted to. The young blonde draped across his body saw to that. Legolas' head was resting on his chest, one arm practically wrapped around his partner, his legs entwined with Elrond's all but pinning him to the bed. The prince remained sound asleep, his breathing deep and slow, his eyes closed against the sunlight. Elrond smiled softly. It had been a long time since he had woken with the young Elf resting peacefully in his arms and it felt good to just be holding him close. At some point during their love-making the night before, just before they had fallen into a contented sleep, they had dragged the sheets up over themselves, for which Elrond was grateful. Of one of his over-enthusiastic advisors decided that he was needed in the office and came by to drag him away from his family at least he could preserve some small amount of dignity.

With Legolas' soft, warm body pressed firmly against his own naked form, Elrond allowed him this time to relax and went back to dozing in the sunlight. Soon something would force them apart – most likely Erestor demanding him to complete some paperwork or Aldarion demanding to be fed – so he wanted to enjoy this moment of perfect comfort whilst he could.

Surprisingly though, it was neither his advisors nor his son who disrupted the peace but rather Legolas. In his arms the prince stirred, blue eyes finally fluttering open. Elrond waited until Legolas had reoriented himself and raised his head to look at him before smiling, "Good morning, my love."

Legolas laid his head back down but slowly unwound his legs from Elrond's and stretched his stiff muscles.

"Morning," the prince replied around a yawn.

"How do you feel?"

A bright smile appeared on Legolas' face and he snuggled closer to his love. "Pretty good," he laughed softly into Elrond's chest.

"Me too," Elrond agreed, moving his arm to wrap it more firmly around Legolas.

Closing his eyes again, Legolas murmured, "We should do that more often. I had forgotten…"

"It's probably safe for another half an hour or so before Glorfindel and Erestor storm out chambers," Elrond told him, looking down at the younger Elf.

Legolas chuckled softly but made no attempt to open his eyes again. "My stamina is not what it used to be, melleth nin. I'm afraid you wore me out last night," he confessed with a small sigh.

The older Elf smiled softly, a flicker of concern briefly lighting his eyes. "Then you should rest, my love. We don't want you overdoing it."

Blue eyes fluttered open and flickered up to meet Elrond's. "I wasn't complaining, merely pointing out that I don't have the strength I once had."

"Then in future I shall have to be more careful that I don't wear you out so easily," Elrond smiled back, his hand running up and down Legolas' bare back. The prince offered a non-committal mumble, seemingly half asleep again, comfortable in Elrond's embrace. For a while, both were content to simply lie there, dozing close together in their comfortable bed.

However, eventually, Elrond's voice broke the silence with seemingly great reluctance. "I suppose we should think about getting up soon," he ventured.

Legolas remained still though, muttering, "Just a while longer."

"As you wish, my love," Elrond laughed softly. If he had his way they would stay in this exact position all day long – all week long – but as he expected, their peaceful morning together was soon interrupted by a demanding knock at the door. Legolas' eyes flickered open and he looked up at his partner. "I should get up and answer that," Elrond sighed heavily.

"Don't. Just ignore it. Stay here with me," Legolas pleaded, snuggling closer to his partner's warm body.

"Very well. But in a minute Glorfindel is going to become impatient and come in here himself to drag me away."

Legolas' eyes opened again, considering just how embarrassing it would be to be found in such a vulnerable position by the seneschal. Certainly they were friends but they weren't quite that comfortable with each other.

"Fine," he breathed in frustration. "Answer the door." He quickly disentangled himself from Elrond but remained in the bed, having no intention of getting up prematurely, although he did make sure the sheets were covering him fully just in case Glorfindel ventured into the bedroom.

Meanwhile, Elrond climbed out of his warm bed, pulled on his dressing gown and went to the door. As expected, it was Glorfindel.

"Good morning, mellon nin," the Elven lord smiled brightly at the Elda, whose eyes were raking down Elrond's half-dressed form.

"You're not up yet."

"No. I was actually thinking of taking the day off," the Elven Lord announced.

Glorfindel looked understandably startled at this and frowned. "A day off?"

"Yes."

"Is Aldarion unwell again?"

"No."

"And Prince Legolas is all right?"

"Fine. Is it really so astonishing that I want to spend the day away from my study?"

"Yes. Wait, it is the middle of the day and you're still not dressed," Glorfindel mused, as if trying to solve the mystery of his lord. "Why do you have that smile on your face? Are you…?" A grin spread across Glorfindel's features as realisation dawned on him. "Middle of the day, in your dressing gown, stupid grin on your face. You and Legolas…?"

"That is none of your business, Captain," he snapped, although the smile didn't leave, suggesting to Glorfindel that he was indeed correct in his assumption.

"Right. Well, I'll be in the office whenever…you're ready."

"Thank you," Elrond smiled softly, closing the door on his friend. He returned to the bedroom to find Legolas now stretched out on the bed, only partially covered by the sheets. Smiling at the sight, Elrond sank back down onto the bed. "I bought us a couple of extra hours," he explained as he lay back down beside his love.

"Good," Legolas smiled, moving to once more drape himself over Elrond. He kept his eyes closed, as if trying to remain in that pleasant state between sleep and waking. Elrond took the prince in his arms and held him close, his fingers gently combing through soft, blonde hair. "I could stay this way forever," Legolas breathed against Elrond's now covered chest.

"Me too," Elrond smiled gently, glancing down at his partner. "Are you really all right after last night?" he asked in a soft voice.

"Do I not look all right?" Legolas laughed softly, opening his eyes a fraction.

Elrond looked down at him. "You look fine to me. I just need to know that you're well."

"Stop worrying about me. I'm fine. Better than fine."

"Good. I'm better than fine too. And…let's never wait so long until next time."

"Agreed," Legolas grinned broadly. "How long do you think?"

"The moment you have regained your strength," Elrond suggested.

Legolas just laughed though and shook his head. "No, I meant how long do you have before you have to go to work?"

"Oh. I'm not sure. Maybe a couple of hours if we're lucky. Although I think our son will soon be shouting for attention."

"Right," Legolas agreed, his eyes shifting towards the nursery door. When he had checked just moments ago, their son had remained sound asleep in his crib, entirely unaware of his parents' night-time activities. "Then I suggest we make the most of the time we have." Legolas shifted to get more comfortable and closed his eyes again.

"I'm with you there," Elrond agreed, also closing his eyes and concentrating on the feel of Legolas' body pressed to his own. Right there and then he made a vow that he would never allow any distance between them again.

They both laid there in each other's arms without any words needing to be exchanged until the inevitable happened and Aldarion's cries woke them both from their pleasant dozing. Legolas laughed softly, his eyes fluttering open and shifting towards the nursery.

"You stay here, I'll go see to him," Elrond told the prince, going to slip out from under him.

Legolas though sat up at the same time. "No, I'll get him. You should probably get ready for when Glorfindel comes knocking," he smiled, placing a tender kiss on Elrond's lips.

"Very well, melleth nin. But it was a…long night last night and I want you to rest today, understand?"

"Yes, I understand," the young Elf said, rolling his eyes. He climbed from under the sheets, walked to the door and pulled his dressing gown on, aware that his love's eyes were following his every movement. "You're making me self-conscious," Legolas smiled as he padded toward the door.

"Don't feel self-conscious. You look perfect," Elrond told him, also climbing off the bed and moving to the bathroom. Legolas flashed him a brilliant smile before they wandered into separate rooms.

Half an hour later, fully dressed for his day, Elrond sat on the couch watching his partner feed Aldarion his breakfast. He'd watched this action any number of times before but today he watched with fascination and adoration. He longed to stay and simply watch Legolas and Aldarion go about their normal day but predictably it wasn't long before the door opened and Glorfindel appeared, his face serious.

"Excuse me, Lord Elrond, but there is something that requires your urgent attention."

"Any chance it can wait?"

"I'm afraid not, sir," Glorfindel said with a serious face.

"Go." Legolas smiled at his partner's reluctance. "We'll still be here when you get back."

Elrond nodded and got to his feet, pressing a kiss onto his son's forehead then Legolas' cheek. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he promised before following the seneschal out into the hall. "What is it?" he asked as they walked briskly towards the Elven lord's office.

"A young woman was brought here to the healing halls by your sons last night. She managed to ask for sanctuary just before she died."

"How is this my problem?" Elrond asked not unkindly.

"She…she handed me something when she arrived. I thought you should see it."

"Why?"

"Because it has your name on it," Glorfindel said simply as he opened the healing room door to let Elrond pass. He walked over to the bed that bore a middle-aged, dark-haired, clearly human woman. For a moment, Elrond looked down at the woman in sympathy then Glorfindel asked from behind him, "Do you know her?"

Elrond shook his head slowly, wracking his brain to try and think if he'd seen the woman before but he just couldn't place her. "No, I don't."

"Are you certain?" the captain asked almost suspiciously.

The Elven lord turned to face him, not liking the accusatory tone. "As sure as I can be. Why would you think I knew her personally?"

"She left something for you." Glorfindel nodded over to a crib that Elrond hadn't noticed in the room before.

Suddenly nervous about what he might find, Elrond slowly stepped over to the crib. Even though he had expected it, Elrond still gasped when he saw the small human child sleeping peacefully beneath the blankets.

"Are you sure you don't know her?" Glorfindel asked, again at Elrond's shoulder.

Turning to face his friend, Elrond asked in an annoyed whisper, "You're not suggesting that this child is mine?" Glorfindel held his lord's gaze, trying not to flinch when anger burned in dark brown eyes. "How dare you! I've never even seen that woman before and I would never cheat on Legolas!"

"I know that, mellon nin," Glorfindel said, his gaze softening. "But you know that I had to ask."

"I would never do that to him, Glorfindel. And I swear to you that I have never met this woman."

Glorfindel nodded and raised his hand to squeeze Elrond's shoulder understandingly. Then he reached into his robe pocket and pulled out a tattered envelope. "She asked…begged me to give you this. She said that only you were allowed to read it."

Cautiously, Elrond took the letter from his seneschal.

"I'll give you some privacy."

Without waiting to be dismissed, Glorfindel slipped out, leaving Elrond alone in the healing room. With slightly trembling hands, Elrond opened the envelope and pulled out a neatly folded sheet of paper. He sat down in the nearest chair before unfolding the note and scanning over the hastily scrawled Common Tongue letters.

When he had read through the letter, his eyes shot up to look at the tiny human baby in horror and amazement.

**To Be Continued…**


	38. Family Additions

Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created.

**Sanctuary**

**OIOIO**

**A/N: Ok, this is the final chapter I'm afraid.**

**I hope you have all enjoyed the story and I'd like to say a big 'thank you!' to everyone who has reviewed, added the story to their Favourites lists or simply read Sanctuary.**

**There will be a brand new story from me coming soon.**

**But for now, enjoy the final chapter and don't forget to review at the end. I appreciate every one of them, even if it's just one word.**

**Freddie23.**

**OIOI**

**Chapter 38 ~ Family Additions**

**OIOI**

It took four more times of reading the letter before Elrond's mind could accept the words. Slowly, he lowered the paper to his lap and turned in his chair to look at the woman's corpse behind him. He didn't remember her but he certainly knew he husband and now he understood why she had brought her baby to Imladris.

He didn't know exactly how long he sat there alone but eventually he stood up, tucked the note carefully inside his pocket and went to the door. As expected, Glorfindel was stood just outside but he tensed when he saw Elrond's worried, serious expression.

"Please make sure she receives a proper funeral and make sure the baby gets everything he needs. I have to speak with Legolas," Elrond said in a quiet voice.

"My Lord?" Glorfindel asked, not entirely certain what was happening.

Usually, Elrond hated lying to his seneschal but both understood that some things had to remain classified even from the Elda. "Please just do as I have asked," Elrond told him bleakly before walking away, all the bounce now gone from his step and his shoulders slightly slumped from the weight of this new burden.

When he reached the door to their rooms, he paused for a moment, trying to figure out exactly how he was going to convince Legolas that what he was about to suggest was indeed the right thing. Unfortunately, there was no real way to prepare for this so he took a deep breath and pushed open the door. He found Legolas just returning from the bedroom, now dressed in loose fitting clothes.

"You're back already," Legolas smiled in surprise when he saw his partner.

Elrond closed the door softly behind him and nodded, "Yes."

"Glorfindel didn't need you after all?"

"Uh, no, he didn't."

"Did you eat lunch? I've had something already but…"

"Legolas, where is Elena?" Elrond asked, glancing around the lounge. He didn't want any witnesses to this upcoming conversation.

Slightly startled by the abruptness of the question, Legolas frowned but answered, "Aldarion has been quiet all day so I sent her home." Elrond nodded although still looked around a little nervously. "Melleth nin, what is going on? Did something happen?"

"I…There's something we have to talk about," Elrond said hesitantly.

"All right."

"Shall we…? Let's sit down," the Elven lord proposed, himself sitting heavily on the couch and motioning to the seat next to him. Although a little reluctant, Legolas did join him, sitting on the edge so he could look at his partner properly. For a moment, it didn't look like Elrond was going to say anything but the blonde Elf waited patiently in silence for him to start, recognising his love's struggle. Eventually, his patience paid off and Elrond spoke in a low voice. "Do you remember about five years ago when you came to visit Imladris and there were reports of Orcs on our borders?" Legolas nodded and he did indeed remember very nearly being set upon by the Orc troops on his way to the sanctuary. "And do you remember at the time Imladris made an alliance with the Men who called themselves the Rangers of the North? Elladan and Elrohir ran with them for a while."

"Yes, I remember."

"Well, there was one man in particular amongst them. I think I mentioned him to you a couple of times. His name was Arathorn."

"I think I remember you mentioning him in passing," Legolas said, straining his memory to recall what Elrond had said about that particular human.

"Do you remember me telling you that during his visit here he spoke of his marriage?" This time Legolas shook his head and Elrond wasn't particularly surprised. So often he had spoken in detail about the events of his days and although the prince listened avidly to every tale he couldn't possibly be expected to remember every mundane detail. "Well, he was getting married to a young woman the next month and requested that I preside over the ceremony here in Imladris. Despite not knowing him well, I agreed but he got called away and I never heard from him again."

"Elrond, I don't…" Legolas shook his head, not understanding where this was leading.

"When Glorfindel called me away earlier, it was because of a request for asylum. A woman had come to Rivendell needing sanctuary for herself and her new born son. Legolas, she died just minutes after handing the healer her child." Legolas' face softened instantly and he automatically reached for Elrond's hand, sensing he needed the support. "She asked for me specifically."

"Did you know her?" Legolas asked sympathetically.

"No, I'd never seen her before. But I knew her husband." Elrond paused, knowing his partner could put the pieces together on his own.

And sure enough, a moment later, Legolas said, "Arathorn."

"Yes," Elrond confirmed, squeezing Legolas' hand tightly. "But there's something more, hence the reason I'm talking to you about it."

"All right," Legolas said, confused once more. It was a tragic story, certainly, but he had never seen Elrond get so obviously upset over the death of someone he barely knew.

"Her husband, Arathorn, is also dead. He was killed by Orcs a few months ago; that's why she came to Imladris. She knew she was dying and if…when it happened, her son would be left all alone so she brought him here, probably as instructed by Arathorn." Legolas nodded his understanding, pain for this tragic family he had never met shining in the depths of his eyes. "She knew her son would be safe in Rivendell under my protection. That's why I have to talk to you, melleth nin. This child, Arathorn's son, I have…I have a duty to protect him."

"Wait. I don't understand. You've only met this man once."

"Yes, but I didn't know then what I know now. If I had, I would never let him leave Rivendell," Elrond explained, suddenly angry at himself for his mistake five years ago. Seeing Legolas' mounting confusion, he pushed aside his own guilt and continued, "The child, Arathorn's only son, is very special, Legolas."

"Special, how?" Legolas asked curiously.

Now Elrond released Legolas' hand and pulled the note Glorfindel had given him out. "She left me this. She said that it was for my eyes only and that no one else must know the truth but you have a right to know what I may be letting us in for so…" He held out the creased, tattered note for the prince to take. "Read it," he instructed.

Almost nervously, Legolas took the letter and slipped it from the envelope and after an encouraging nod his partner started reading. Whilst Legolas was reading the hastily written and untidy writing, Elrond quietly got up and started pacing, watching Legolas the whole time. His reactions were as expected. Shock and amazement flitted across his face and then confusion, followed finally by intent as he re-read the letter just as Elrond had done earlier. Finally, Legolas absorbed the content and folded the paper up carefully.

"Well?" Elrond asked, perching on the edge of the table in front of the younger Elf.

Legolas' fingers ran along the creases in the paper as he thought about what he had just read. After a moment his eyes lifted to meet Elrond's and they just stared at each other, neither quite knowing what to say. Legolas looked back down at the paper and in a voice that no human would ever be able to hear, said, "We have Isildur's heir in our healing halls?"

"Yes. Arathorn knew that Imladris was ever a haven for all free peoples. His instruction was for his wife to bring their son here should anything happen to him so the line could always be protected. He knew the boy would be safe from the Enemy here."

"But…why not take him to Lorien? Galadriel's borders are far more secure than ours," Legolas whispered, even though there was no one around to overhear.

"I don't know," Elrond sighed. Everything had been so simple that morning and in the course of just a couple of hours everything had gotten so overwhelmingly complicated.

"What are you going to do?"

"I can't send the child away. He's too important and he's in too much danger to ever return to the hands of Men, even the Rangers. And neither Lorien nor Mirkwood would accept a human in their communities. He is too important to ignore, Legolas, and he is vulnerable to attack if I send him away from here." The young Elf had to nod in agreement. Feeling suddenly nervous about his words, Elrond said quickly, "Legolas, I want him to stay here in Rivendell. With us."

Legolas suddenly sat up straight in surprise. "You mean…you want us to raise him…as our own?" he asked in stunned disbelief. "No, Elrond. No, I can't raise another child. I can't."

"Legolas," Elrond whispered, taking Legolas' hands in his own. "I have to do this."

"That woman's death was tragic but it was not your fault."

Elrond shook his head and lowered his eyes, saying, "But this boy's fate is of my making. I let him go, Legolas. I let Isildur leave with that Ring and I allowed the line to crumble. I cannot let him suffer this alone."

"You know something more?" Legolas asked, referring to Elrond's gift of vague foresight.

"Nothing specific, but there is a change coming and I just know that this child is pivotal. I owe it to him – to all of us to help. Maybe it is a lost cause, maybe Gondor is beyond all aid and protecting a single human is a futile attempt to stop what may or may not occur but, Legolas, I have to try."

"It would expose Imladris to unparalleled danger to conceal something so wanted by the Enemy. If anyone ever found out that we were hiding the heir of Gondor it would destroy Rivendell," Legolas warned.

"I know that. I have thought this through. It is a risk I feel I must take."

"It is a risk that puts our son in danger," the prince pointed out sharply.

Elrond looked down, anguish passing over his features at the thought of Aldarion being harmed. "I know," he admitted, his voice catching. "I know I am asking a lot, Legolas. But this child has done nothing wrong and he deserves a chance."

"And if he is discovered?"

"Then I will place an army between danger and my family. I won't let you or Aldarion get hurt, I swear it."

"Don't. Don't make promises you can't keep," Legolas chastised softly.

"I know it is dangerous but I…I have to do this, Legolas. I want to do this. I want to guide and protect this boy. Maybe it'll work out and maybe it won't, but I _have_ to try. I _have_ to. But I won't do this unless you're certain you want to too because I am going to need your help."

"No one could ever know," Legolas said softly, lowering his head.

"No, they couldn't."

"You'd tell Elladan and Elrohir and Arwen?"

"So they could better guard the borders, yes."

"And Glorfindel?"

"I…I don't know," Elrond admitted, pleased that they were actually discussing this.

"You should. You'd need him to help. Although not Erestor; he'd never approve."

Elrond couldn't help but smile slightly in relief that Legolas was offering his voice. "Right."

"No one else. Not even Aldarion when he grows up. I won't have my son put in unnecessary danger," Legolas warned seriously.

"I don't want that either," Elrond frowned, slightly hurt by the insinuation that he would purposefully put their son in harm's way. Legolas' face softened when he heard Elrond's tone and his hands tightened around Elrond's. "Legolas, I won't do this without you."

The prince sat in silence for a moment, mulling over the pros and cons of what he was being asked to do. Elrond knew that it was a big decision so he remained silent whilst Legolas considered it. Finally, though, the blonde Elf came to a decision and he nodded slowly. "All right," he said in a soft voice.

"All right? Are you sure? You don't need to think on it some more? If you need more time…"

"No, if you feel like you have to do this…How can I condemn you for putting your realm in danger for this child when you did the same thing for me when I can searching for your help? You didn't turn me away and I cannot turn an innocent child away," Legolas said in a far more determined voice than before.

"No, I suppose not. You really want to do this?" Elrond asked in wonder.

Legolas nodded gently, sitting up straight and pulling his hands back from Elrond. "He's not my son, Elrond. He never could be. He'll live with us and I will take care of him but he will never be my son."

"I can understand that," Elrond agreed.

"All right then. Let's do it."

Elrond quickly and smoothly transferred himself from the table to the couch and took Legolas into his arms and held him close, pleased that Legolas returned the hug. "Thank you, melleth nin. Thank you."

Legolas nodded then pulled back, saying, "You should go and prepare your children for their new responsibilities and send Elena back; she should know of the new addition to her duties."

"Right. I'll get some to place a second crib in the nursery. Hopefully it shouldn't be too difficult to arrange."

As Elrond got up from the couch, Legolas called, "Elrond, we already have a second crib. The baby can use Anara's cot for now – at least until you can arrange a proper one for him."

"Are you certain?" Elrond asked softly, the thought of a stranger lying in his daughter's bed sent a pang of sadness through him and he knew it did with Legolas as well.

"He'll need somewhere to sleep," Legolas reasoned, getting to his feet. "We'll need other things too."

"I'll organise it all, don't worry." The prince nodded. "I'll be back soon." With that, Elrond quickly and quietly left the room, hardly daring to believe what had just happened. He couldn't believe that Legolas had actually agreed; he could hardly believe that he had even suggested it.

Meanwhile, Legolas wandered into the nursery, looking down at his sleeping son. Suddenly he felt the almost desperate need to hold his son in his arms. Normally, he would never have considered disturbing Aldarion from his afternoon nap and yet now he bent down and carefully picked the baby up. Of course, Aldarion woke the moment his father's gentle hands lifted him up and held him close. He remained wonderfully sleepy though and soon settled again in his ada's arms.

"A new addition to our family, ion nin. For all intents and purposes you'll have a little brother. It's a big responsibility for both of us," Legolas whispered softly, glancing over at the perfectly made up cot in the corner. By all rights it should have been their daughter in there. Even so, it somehow felt right that it be in use. The terrible cold dread that gripped Legolas' heart whenever he thought about that gap in their family slightly lessened when he considered that a baby would receive a good home. The human baby would never replace his daughter and Legolas didn't think that he could ever love this adopted child as much as his own flesh and blood but this was what his partner wanted and even when he didn't entirely trust his own heart, he trusted Elrond.

Just a few short hours later, everything was ready for the new arrival and Legolas waited almost nervously for Elrond to bring the human baby to him. He held Aldarion in his arms and paced up and down the lounge. The baby seemed especially well-behaved this evening, as though he sensed the air of nervous anticipation and was intrigued at what might he causing it.

After what seemed like an eternity, the door finally opened and Elrond appeared, carrying his own small bundle. Legolas stepped forward to greet him, holding Aldarion closer still to him. Elrond offered him a small smile.

"Legolas, meet…well, we don't have a name yet but…"

"Everything's ready so…" Legolas gestured to the prepared cot, which had been moved closer to Aldarion's to make it easier to take care of both of them. Elrond gently placed the baby in the cot and the stepped back to join Legolas and his son. "Well, that's it, I suppose."

"It'll be fine," Elrond assured, wrapping his arm around Legolas' waist.

"Right, except I have no idea how to look after a human baby," the prince admitted with a small laugh.

Elrond smiled at his love. "It's much the same as what you have been doing all along. Except I believe human children sleep more than Elven babies."

The prince laughed softly. "He couldn't sleep any less than an Elven baby."

"True. Although I think that when they are both fully grown, we shall miss the sleepless nights."

"Speak for yourself. I shall love sleeping two undisturbed nights in a row." Even as he said this he looked lovingly down at his son and pulled away from Elrond to place Aldarion in his usual cot. The Elven child squirmed in his bed but remained silent. When Legolas joined Elrond again he leaned back into his warmth and Elrond wrapped his arms around him. "You do realise what you've gotten us into, don't you?" he asked with a small chuckle.

"We'll be fine," Elrond assured, planting a kiss on Legolas' cheek. "He'll be fine."

"You know, we can't just keep calling him 'him' or 'the baby'. We should choose a name."

"Any suggestions?"

Legolas shook his head. "I named Aldarion, remember? It's your turn."

"I have considered one name. How does Estel sound?"

The blonde Elrond considered this for a moment, before smiling. "'Hope'. Very appropriate."

"You approve?"

"I approve. Estel."

**THE END**

**Thanks for reading.**

**OIOI**


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